Mockingjay
by weepingwillow131415
Summary: abandoned story
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

I'm sitting in my family's designated room in District 13, anxiously awaiting Peeta's return. I'm curled in a tight ball on my bed, trying to stop shaking. Cold tremors run up and down my spine, but not because of the temperature. I'm wrapped in three blankets under a sheet and a thick comforter.

What's taking them so long? Is the plan working? Or are they already dead? Peeta and Gale… I can't bring myself to think about that. Sitting in my room feeling sorry for myself and worrying isn't going to help them. In fact, there is nothing I can do to help them at the moment. But, I have to think positively. Everything is going to be okay. Gale and Peeta are going to be fine. Everything is going to be okay… I drift off as those thoughts play over in head.

When I'm startled awake by another nightmare, Haymitch is standing at the foot of my bed, watching me closely. Still shivering, I sit up and wait for him to say something. Instead, he just stares at me with an uncomprehendable expression on his face. I begin to panic. Why is he looking at me like that? What happened to Peeta at the Capitol? Were they too late to save him?

"Haymitch, what's going on?" I demand.

After a slight pause, he answers, "They're back," and before I can bombard him with my sea of questions he continues, "You're wanted in the hospital."

As I rush to untangle myself from my cocoon of blankets, my mind explodes with possible scenarios. _Where they hurt but brought back alive? What if Peeta was tortured so badly he went mad? Are they all dead but they want to at least have the courtesy to tell me all together? What am I going to do with myself if both Peeta and Gale are gone forever?_ Haymitch interrupts my thoughts by grabbing my arm to lead me to the hospital ward. I brace myself for what I'm about to see.

When we enter the hospital, I immediately see that Gale is alive. He has a cast on his arm and bandages across his chest, but I can tell he is alright. Plutarch approaches me and tells me that Peeta is in the next room over, and unconscious from the medicine. I'm instantly flooded with relief. Plutarch wants me to be there when he wakes up, but when I throw open the door, he's already awake.

A huge smile spreads across his face when he sees me standing in the doorway. He shoves aside the doctor he was talking to and rushes over to me. And we're running towards each other excitedly, arms extended, like we're in a movie. We collide and his arms wrap around me, strong and dependable. We hug for a long time, until he pulls back and really looks at me for the first time in over a month. I can see the pure love in his eyes, and wish I could return it. I can't help but lean into him.

He kisses me passionately for a long time, and it feels even more real than the moment we had on the beach at the Quarter Quell. It makes me hungry for more, and I cling to every kiss, every touch. We finally break apart when I realize that his monitor has been beeping out of control, and the doctor tells him he should sit down, calm his heart rate. We're red-faced and breathing hard and the doctor suggests I sit down too. I'm about to decline, tell him that the Mockingjay can handle anything, but I realize I'm actually pretty dizzy and collapse on the end of Peeta's hospital bed. What I'm supposed to do now, I don't know, but at the moment I'm too happy that Peeta's alive and well to care.

I move up so that I'm lying next to him, and when he puts his arm around me I snuggle against him. I suddenly realize that neither of us has said a word this whole time.

I decide to savor the moment and restrain from interrupting the peaceful silence.

He smiles at me and says, "I've missed you." I smile back, but right then reality catches up to me and my short-lived daydream shatters. My stomach twists as I remember where we just rescued him from, and what they must have done to him there.

"Peeta…in the Capitol…"

His eyes just turn sad and he shakes his head.

"Peeta, I know that they hurt you. I –" my voice fails me. My throat starts closing up and my eyes begin to water. I burst into silent tears and bury myself in Peeta's arms. He murmurs soothing words to me and strokes my hair while I soak the shoulder of his shirt. I just can't bear to think of the tremendous amounts of pain they caused him. He looked so thin and weak when I saw him on TV before we rescued him. I can't imagine what the Capitol had to do to get him to the starved, insane-looking state he was in only weeks ago. And he is no doubt trying his hardest to pull it together, so that I never have to him like that again. He doesn't want to let the pain and suffering show, especially not in front of me.

The worst part…this was all my fault. Peeta doesn't like to think so. President Snow was only using Peeta so he could break me. With a broken Mockingjay, the rebellion would have no chance of surviving. But now that Peeta is safe in my arms, I will not be broken. The rebellion will continue to grow. We will fight for the people we love, and the Capitol will crumble under our feet. I will fight for my mother and Prim. I will fight for Gale and his family. But most of all, I will fight for Peeta. They will pay for what they did to him.

I finally realize how much he really means to me, but I can't bear to think of the word. I freeze in my tracks. I was supposed to be pretending, and only now do I understand why it was so easy for me. This realization opens up a whole new world before me. No more confusion about who I do and don't love, who's my friend and who's more.

Gale may be my best friend, but he's almost like a brother to me. We're too similar n our brave, fierce ways. We both have that fire inside us, and combining them would only cause an explosion.

But then there's Peeta… He glows with confidence and happiness, and when he smiles it's so warm and kind that I can't help but smile back. He would never dream of hurting me or even fighting with me. He would give his life for mine, and has tried multiple times to do so.

I've taken him for granted and have never fully appreciated him. Not anymore. I will cherish every moment I have with him, including this one, for the rest of my life.

While having this revelation, my eyes have dries, and I am looking deeply into Peeta's sea blue eyes, practically swimming in the depths of his loving gaze. Although I'm sure my eyes are still red and puffy, I smile at him.

"What is it, Katniss?" he asks me, a hint of concern in his voice.

Without hesitation I speak the truth, "I love you." Although it's said in a hushed whisper, I sound completely sure of myself. As he processes what I've just said, I continue, "Peeta…this time it's real. The games are over. But the feeling has stayed."

"That's the first time you've ever said that," he whispers. Even in the arena, when you were pretending, you never actually said it." I see the truth in what he's saying. As I look back on my past experiences in the Hunger Games, I find that he has said countless times that he loved me, pouring out his heart and telling me his true feelings. Never once did I respond by telling him I felt the same way. I saved his life and kissed him time and time again, but never verbally told him that I loved him. After all that Peeta gave to me, he deserves every bit of my heart that I can spare.

"I know. I'm sorry. I thought I was pretending…for the cameras…but, I guess I was wrong. I need you."

Peeta just stares at me, shocked, but even through the surprise I can see the love. Like I am his whole life. And I am. And he is mine.

I bet he never thought this day would come. Gale and Peeta were always convinced that the other would win my heart. But, now I see all doubt erased from his face. I see myself reflected in his deep blue eyes. The face of a girl who has found the one she loves. And this time she is sure of herself.

Peeta puts his arms around me and whispers in my ear, "I'll never let go of you. I'm here." For a while, we just sit there, wrapped in each others arms, not willing to let this moment end.

Then, we're startled apart when Haymitch bursts through the double doors of the hospital. He runs to me with panic clear on his face, "There you are, Katniss. I've been looking all over for you!"

He knew I was in the hospital visiting Peeta didn't he? He brought me here. Then I glance at the clock. It's almost five in the morning. How long have I been here? I think back to when Haymitch woke me to tell me the rescue patrol was back. It was around nine at night. That means I've been in here nearly eight hours. No wonder he couldn't find me, he must have though I would've left by now.

"Katniss, we are under attack. The Capitol is sending droves of hover planes to destroy District 13, and we don't have much time. They think we have become too powerful, that we need to be contained. And we have you," Haymitch explains quickly.

Suddenly, everything is completely serious. I am out of Peeta's hospital bed and on my way to the Command room in a whirl.

"What's the plan?" I ask when I get there. My only response is uneasy looks and downcast eyes. "What?" I demand.

"Well, we called you here hoping you had a plan," says Boggs, the second in command, after President Coin. After all that they have learned about me, after all that we have gone through, they want _me _to make the decisions? They have obviously learned nothing from our time together. I rack my brain for ideas, in a panic because of our limited time.

"What about putting the District on lockdown?" I suggest. It's the most basic plan there is.

"The hover planes could be here any minute now, so we don't have enough time for that," says Plutarch, the Head Gamemaker of our previous games, the Quarter Quell, who supported the rebellion and wanted to overthrow the Capitol all along. Okay, so that option is ruled out. We could try to fight back, but our troops wouldn't be prepared for a Capitol ambush. And they most definitely wouldn't survive nuclear explosions. Maybe if I went into the battle and sacrificed myself, everyone else would have a chance to get away with their lives. After all, I'm the main reason they're here, right?

So, if they destroy District 13 like they did 12, it will be my fault. And I can't let them kill Peeta. Actually, they wouldn't be so kind as to simply kill him. They would torture him. I won't let them do that again. I can't let him go so easily. But, who knows, if I sacrifice myself, they may keep fighting District 13. Then I will have died for nothing.

I need a better plan. I could ask for Peeta's help. He would know what to do. But, he would, no doubt, insist on helping in any way he can. He would want to be a soldier and fight for the District. For me. I decide to take my chances and ask him for help, because we don't have much time.

I run down the hall back to the hospital, Plutarch, Boggs, and Haymitch in my wake. Now that I think about it, I should probably apologize for rushing out of the room without even glancing his way when Haymitch came in to tell me about the attack.

"Peeta, I need your help," I know he was there when Haymitch explained the situation but I tell him anyway, "Hover planes from the Capitol are coming to destroy District 13. It's too late for a lockdown, we wouldn't be prepared for battle, and I don't know what to do," I say in a rush. Obviously I can't tell anyone about my suicide plan in case I need it later on; they would definitely forbid it.

His face contorts in thought. Almost immediately, it looks like a light bulb has gone off in his head, "Aren't there underground tunnels built beneath the district?" he asks, "If we can get everyone into the tunnels we might have a chance." I think back to past days learning about District 13 in school. He might be onto something.

"How much time do you think we have, Plutarch?" I ask.

He looks at his watch, the same one that he showed me to try to tip me off on the style of the arena in the Quarter Quell, "Less than an hour, but I can't be sure. We would have to hurry and start evacuating people right away."

Peeta says, "Okay. There are several entrances to the tunnels placed randomly around the district. But, they're slightly hidden. If we can find a map of District 13 that includes the underground, we'll be able to find the tunnel entrances. Do you have any idea where we might find a map?"

"I could look in the old storage room but I can't promise anything," says Plutarch.

"Well, it's all we've got. So let's give it a try."

"I'll start getting people prepared to evacuate and warn my mother and Prim," I say.

"I'll help you with that," says Peeta, moving to my side. He turns to Plutarch, "When you find the map, call me down here and, if we have time, we'll start assigning groups of people to different exits." He strides over to me, takes my hand and we walk out.

"I'm sorry all of this had to ruin today. I wish we could have had more time alone," he whispers in my ear. His breath is cool against my skin and sends shivers down my back.

I simply smile to myself, happy to have him with me.

Our first stop is my room, with Prim and my mother. Hand-in-hand, Peeta and I enter the room. They see the intensity of our faces and immediately know something is wrong.

"What is it?" asks my mother.

"The Capitol is planning an ambush and will be here in less than an hour," I say, as if that explains everything.

Peeta continues for me. "Plutarch went to find a map of District 13, and it should have a section that shows the underground area. I think there is a system of tunnels that runs beneath the District with several entrances randomly placed within the borders. If we can locate those entrances, we can lead everyone to the safety of the tunnels." It takes a minute for her to process everything he has just said.

"We came to warn you. Peeta and I are going around the District to prepare people for evacuation. I wanted you to be the first to know," I add. The stress of the moment finally gets to me and I slump into a nearby chair. My mother and Prim are mow flying through the room, packing valuables and necessities in case the Capitol's bombs destroy the whole District.

"We should get going. To warn the others," says Peeta. It takes tremendous effort just to stand back up. I could sit in that chair all day. But, sadly, I can't.

"Okay. But we need a strategy. If we're as slow as this in every room, we'll be dead before we can warn the first floor," I say.

"Why don't we go on opposite sides of the hallway; you do even-numbered rooms, I'll do odd. That way we'll get it done twice as fast. But, no lingering, no matter who it is; just knock, tell them to evacuate, and move on."

"It's a plan." Peeta's hand tightly gripped in mine, we leave the room and begin warning.

Halfway through the second hall, Peeta's communicuff starts beeping. We stop and watch Plutarch materialize onto the screen.

"What is it? Did you find the map?" asks Peeta.

"Well, no, but I found something even better," he says. A grin spreads across his face as he reaches down and reveals a large, shiny, black disc.

We stare in awe at the shiny, unknown object in his hands. It looks more advanced than our current technology, polished and perfect.

"What is it?" asks Peeta.

"Come to the Command Room and I'll show you; it could save District 13," Plutarch replies.

We rush down the halls, curious to know what new discoveries await us.

"What do you think it could be?" asks Peeta.

"It could be anything from a bomb to simply a plastic container for all I know," I say with a smile. He gives my hand a squeeze and we enter the Command Room. Plutarch is sitting in a swiveling chair, his back to us.

"Plutarch," I say. No response. "Plutarch, we're here," I say louder. He must have fallen asleep waiting for us. Laughing now, I turn his chair around to face us so I can wake him.

"Plutarch you – " my sentence ends in a strangled gasp. Plutarch sits slumped in his chair, eyes closed, arms taped to the sides of the chair. There's a knife lodged in his chest, blood seeping from the wound, drenching his shirt. A second knife, smaller yet deadlier, is in his arm. The area around it is a sickly green. The knife must have been poisoned, giving the reason why it was deadly. And a third in his leg.

How did this happen? I place a shaky hand on his wrist. Nothing. He has no pulse. Plutarch is dead.


	2. Chapter 2

**here's my second chapter! hope it'seven better than the first! please review and feel free to shoot me ideas anytime in a review!**

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I turn to Peeta, and catch a glimpse of my pale, wide-eyed face in his eyes. He doesn't look too good himself. But he's still as handsome as ever. I shake my head to clear my thoughts so I can focus on the issue at hand, no matter how amazingly handsome Peeta is. Sensing my insecurity, he wraps a protective arm around my shoulder, giving me a reassuring squeeze and a kiss on the forehead before he lets go. But we remain silent. There are no words to describe what we have just witnessed.

A sudden thought pops into my head. The disc! Where did it go? Did Plutarch's murderer steal it? What that the reason he killed him in the first place?

"Peeta, the disc," I say. We start frantically searching the room for any sign of the, now extremely valuable, object.

We search every drawer, explore every inch of the Command Room, only to find nothing. What could have happened? Did someone from the Capitol sneak in and steal the disc? That must have been a really important object. But why? What is it? What does it do? I don't know the answer to any of these questions. All I know is that we have to find that disc.

Peeta and I go back to the center of the room empty-handed. We stare at each other for a moment and suddenly I can't take it any more. I throw myself into Peeta's arms. As always, they're strong and dependable, always there for me. He doesn't say a word, doesn't attempt to comfort me. He knows me too well. Soothing words will only make it worse. Make me feel weak and helpless. Locked in an embrace, we both try to calm down, comforted by the other.

It's all just been too much. Realizing my feelings for Peeta. Being told the Capitol is coming to destroy us. And now Plutarch's death. Along with the "disc of unknown power" being stolen. I cling to Peeta like a lifeline, never wanting these comforting arms to release me.

Always the stronger of us two, he strokes my hair and whispers, "It's getting late, we should go." Too tired to answer, I just nod and step out of his arms. He leads me out of Command, walks me to my room. He gives me a gentle kiss before leaving.

As he's leaving I realize that the stolen disc has distracted us both from the real problem. I forgot all about the Capitol's ambush.

"Peeta!" I yell down the hall. He spins around at the alarm in my voice. "Peeta, we forgot about evacuating the District. The Capitol's troops will be here any minute!" I start running towards him.

Peeta smacks his forehead with his hand, "How could I have forgotten? It was their plan all along. Killing Plutarch was merely a distraction to stop us from dealing with the Capitol's ambush. And I fell for it!" I can tell how angry he is with himself.

"Peeta, it's not your fault. We both fell for it. We weren't prepared to face another death, after you just came back, and they knew that. They hit us when we were down."

"It doesn't matter now; we just have to get back to evacuating people right away. We have to go twice as fast, though, to get it all done before the Capitol arrives. They're depending on us, Katniss. Especially you; you're their Mockingjay."

He takes my hand and we rush to get all the people to the tunnels. Instead of knocking on doors and waiting for people to answer, though, we resort to running down the halls and screaming at the top of our lungs.

"Everyone, get to your designated tunnel exit immediately! This is not a drill! Your life depends on it!" we yell in unison. When we've reached the end of the last hall, we collapse on the floor, exhausted but relieved. Now that I've sprinted the length of it, I realize that District 13 is a lot bigger than I thought.

"We did it," Peeta says.

"Finally," I answer, "we may have just saved the whole of District 13."

Out of nowhere, an explosion upsets the ground beneath us. The ceiling cracks and dust rains from above.

"We'd better get out of here, and fast," I say.

We scramble to our feet and dash for the nearest tunnel exit. Down different hallways, chunks of the ceiling litter the ground. I trip on a concrete boulder, miscalculating the height of my leap. My face hits the ash-covered floor, and my hand automatically flies to it to check for injuries. My nose is gushing blood, possibly broken, but that's manageable. There's a searing pain in my left cheek, but I don't have time to worry about my face lkking pretty at a time like this.

Peeta helps me to my feet and we just make it to the door before the ceiling caves in and tumbles out in a mess of concrete that would have buried us.

Once safe in the tunnels, a mile or so in, Peeta notices my bloodied face and concern fills his eyes.

"What happened? Did you do that when you tripped?" he asks.

"Yes, but I'm fine, Peeta, really," I say, brushing aside his help.

"Katniss. There's a chunk of ceiling in your cheek. That's not what I would call fine. It'll get infected if you don't treat it soon." After a pause he says, "You don't always have to be so strong, you know."

I ignore that last comment and let him help me. He begins to wipe away the blood on my mouth, cheeks, and nose, but quickly realizes his hand won't be enough to staunch the flow of red liquid streaming from my face. He removes his shirt, putting pressure on the wounds, soaking up the blood.

"I didn't know it was possible to beat yourself up this much just by tripping on a boulder." He laughs. "You might need stitches for this."

I stifle a cry of pain as he tries to gently remove the pieces of ceiling from my cheek. "You know, it's kind of hard to focus on not tripping when you're running for your life," I counter.

I sit there, watching Peeta as he tends to my wounds. His gentle, concentrated face trained on mine.

"Peeta," I say softly.

"Hmm?" He replies, distracted by the job at hand.

"Peeta," I repeat. He stops at my abruptly serious tone. I wait until he's looking at me to continue. "Do you think everyone got out? Do you think we alerted enough people in time? I mean, we barely got out before the ceiling collapsed on us."

Seeing the true meaning behind my words he says, "Katniss, you worry too much. Your mother and Prim will be fine. They were the first ones we warned. I bet they found Gale and his family and they escaped together."

To get off the subject I say, "We should keep moving. The farther from there the better. Maybe we'll run into other people if we continue." Saying hopeful things like that calms me down.

Peeta helps me up and we start walking through the tunnels. The farther we go, the damper and darker it gets. After a few hours, I realize something vital we forgot. Food. Water.

Who knows how long we'll be stuck down here? It could be days, weeks, months, before it's safe to leave. We would be able to last without food for a few weeks, but we'll need water. Why didn't we think of that earlier? Depending on how many people made it down here, and how long we'll have to stay until it's safe…we could all starve to death.

That's a slow, painful way to die. In the Seam, it happened all the time. No one ever had enough money or food, so you were lucky to live to be 60. But, here in District 13, we have plenty of food, so the thought of everyone starving to death because I wasn't thinking… No. We are not going to starve.

I saw a pack of rats scuttling by just a few minutes before. They have to have some source of food. And seeing as how damp it's getting as we progress through the tunnels, there has to be water around here somewhere. _Just keep going. You'll find something eventually_. I tell myself.

Peeta yawns and I notice I'm starting to drag my feet along. We're going to have to stop and rest for the night. Our pace has slowed down a considerable amount since we started; we have to sleep and regain our energy.

Peeta squeezes my hand and says, "We've been walking for a while, we should stop for the night." If it even is night. Down in these tunnels we have no way of knowing what time of day it is, or how much time has passed.

We find a relatively comfortable spot in the dirt and settle down to sleep. Since there's no knowing who could be down here, I offer to take the first watch. He refuses, telling me to get some sleep, and I don't argue. I'm exhausted after the load of events today, and my cheek had begun to bleed again from the long walk. I snuggle in next to Peeta, resting my head on his chest, his arm tightly wrapped around me, and instantly fall asleep.

When Peeta finally nudges my shoulder I can immediately tell I've been asleep for too long. "Why didn't you wake me earlier?" I ask

"There was no need to. Nothing happened and I knew you needed extra sleep," he says.

"But what about you? You need sleep too."

"I can sleep now. Wake me when you want to keep moving." While Peeta sleeps, I think of possible scenarios. What really could've happened to everyone else in District 13. My mother and Prim are smart enough to know to get out right away, and they were the first ones we alerted, so they're probably safe.

Gale. Hazelle and the kids. Being Gale's mother, I'm sure Hazelle got them out safely. Like Peeta said, I bet Prim and my mother found them and they escaped together. Like Peeta also said, I worry too much.

But, how many people got out before they were buried in rubble or blasted to bits? I doubt everyone made it. It would be miracle if they did. There are, or were, too many of them.

I wonder who's still alive. Finnick and Johanna for sure. Haymitch and Effie. The rest of the rescued victors from the Quarter Quell. I start making a mental list of those who were likely to survive the bombing. It was meant to comfort me, but it only reminds me of all the people who never had a chance. The ordinary people, who never did anything wrong. They just tried to live a normal life, and stay out of trouble, like I used to. It's not fair that, after all of the mistakes I've made, all the trouble I've caused, all the people that have been killed because of me, I'm allowed to live, but the good people, who've kept to themselves, and done nothing but help, have to die. Because of me. People go out of their way to make sure that the 'important' people, like Peeta and I, stay safe. Wouldn't it just be easier if all the important people were gone? All that would be left would be the ordinary citizens, who make no trouble. Wouldn't the world be more peaceful that way? But, unless I got everyone to agree with me, which is highly unlikely, that would never happen.

I'll just have to deal with the situation at hand. My stomach grumbles, and I know we're going to have to find some sort of food today. I untangle myself from Peeta, careful not to wake him up, and stand up, brushing the dirt off of my back. Although I was careful, the slight movement causes him to stir. His eyes flutter open and he sits up and stretches. He stands and brushes the dirt from his back, just as I did.

He smiles and says, "Were you going to leave without me?"

"Never," I say, returning his smile and taking his hand. "But, if you're ready, I think we should get moving. We're going to need to find food and water. Soon." My stomach is hollow and my tongue is rough and dry. We start at a steady pace down the tunnels.

After a few hours of uneventful walking, and no sign of any food, I start to lose hope in ever finding a way out. Then, like my thoughts were answered, I hear a rustling sound ahead. It was very faint, but it was still the sound of life.

"Did you hear that?" Peeta asks, his voice filled with hope.

"It sounds like people walking towards us. Let's go!" I say, and I can't contain my excitement, even though it could very well be a pack of rats. We run towards the sound as it becomes more distinct. It now sounds like bustling feet, like they sped up to a sprint as well.

We come around a corner and run smack into Madge and Gale.

"Catnip!" Gale pulls me into his arms, breaking my hold on Peeta's hand. I hug him tightly back, relieved that he is alive, but the minute he releases me, I take back Peeta's hand. Next, I give a red-faced Madge a one-handed hug, so I stay linked to Peeta. That's when I realize they're alone.

"Where are my mother and Prim? Hazelle and the kids?" I ask Gale, "I thought you'd all be together."

"We ran into Prim and your Mother in the hallway, but when we got near the exits, the ceiling collapsed, separating us. The same thing happened to Madge."

She nods and continues for him, "My family and I were running through the halls to get to the exit, and I was the only one who got past the spot where the ceiling caved in. The rest of them didn't make it. They were crushed by the rubble," she ends in a choked sob, trying hard not to cry. I now see that her face was red because she was crying recently.

I reach forward and give Madge another comforting hug. I can tell the tremendous effort it's taking for her to keep in her tears. "It's okay to cry sometimes. I know what it feels like. To be in your position," I say. After slight hesitation, Madge starts softly sobbing into my shoulder. I _do _know how it feels. To lose someone you love. Although only for a short time, after being told that Peeta was taken by the Capitol, I was sure he was dead. And if he wasn't dead, they wouldn't keep him alive for long. That moment, I knew I would never be whole again. I couldn't go on living if Peeta was gone. The chances of him living through that were slim, and the one person I could trust, the one person I could depend on, was ripped from my life. I know how it feels.

Unexpectedly, I feel tears pooling in my eyes. Madge's situation reminded me too much of mine. I release my grip on her and give a hopefully reassuring smile, although my tear-filled eyes that are about to overflow probably aren't helping her.

We settle down for the night and Gale starts to tell us everything he knows about what happened to everyone else. It was complete chaos when they escaped. People running, scattered across the district, trying desperately to find a way out. Apparently our yelling in the halls wasn't very affective. Next to no one reacted to our alert, resulting in many more deaths. Survivors from District 12 were about the only ones who listened to our warning. He doesn't know much about the tunnel system, because no one found a map. They could be miles long, leading anywhere. But, seeing as we met up with Gale and Madge, who came from above in the district, going in either direction would only take us back to the bombing site. Our best option is to pick a direction and take the first fork in the tunnel.

We were just deciding to go the direction Peeta and I had come from, because we had traveled farther, when a piercing scream echoes through the tunnels. We instinctively run in that direction, trying to find the cause of such a tortured sound.

"No, please! There's nothing I can do about it! I promise! Please! Spare me!" A terror-filled voice desperately yells. I swear my heart stopped beating at that moment. I would know that voice anywhere. It's followed by another blood-curdling scream. I break into a sprint, passing everyone else so I can get to the terrified voice before something happens to them. After a few more winding turns I reach them and freeze.

Standing before me is President Snow, his fist closed around a young girl's neck. She's dangling above the ground, struggling to get free, but his grip is too strong. I immediately know it's too late to save her, but I rush forward anyway, screaming at Snow the whole time.

"No! Stop it! Let her go!" For just a moment she catches my gaze. The last thing she sees before the life is squeezed from her is me, and a little smile spreads across her face. Just as I reach the girl, her body goes limp, and President Snow lets her fall to the ground. Crying uncontrollably now, I lift her into my arms, rocking her lifeless body back and forth. With a laugh, Snow turns on his heel and walks away. I press my fingers to her neck, my last empty hope, and find nothing.

Prim is dead.

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**im so sad that Prim died but i felt like i needed to add that! it was an important part of Mockingjay! sorry! hope you liked it anyway and can forgive me for it! please review! **

**peace :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**still love these books more than ever and hope you like my story like that! keep reading and i'll keep updating! **

**bon apetite =)**

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How could I let this happen? How did I not recognize her voice earlier? It doesn't matter now, there's nothing I can do about it. She's dead. The little package of joy that kept me going all this time is gone. I've done everything I can to protect her, and now, suddenly, she's gone. President Snow will pay. I am going to make him suffer more than me, more than Prim, more than Peeta. I am not just going to kill him, that would be too kind. I'm going to take everything that he cares about, if anything matters to him besides making me suffer. When I'm done with him, he is going to wish he never touched me. He had better sleep with both eyes open, surrounded by guards, in a locked, missile-proof room. Otherwise, President Snow is a dead man.

Once he is out of the way, the rebellion will blossom. This could be the one turn in events the rebellion needed. The death of my beloved sister has pushed me over the edge. I will do everything in my power to destroy Prim's murderer. President Snow will die an excruciating death, that I will draw out for as long as I can. He will pay. And he will be sorry.

That's when Peeta, Gale and Madge catch up to me. They come up short when they see me kneeling on the ground, cradling Prim's body in my arms. Peeta understands right away. He walks over to me and places a hand on my shoulder, sitting down beside me. Anyone else would've immediately asked me what happened, insisted on getting every detail out of me at once. But Peeta, knowing I'm not ready to speak yet, just takes me in his arms and waits for me to cry myself dry.

When I'm finally done weeping, I slip out of Peeta's arms and lay Prim down. At a time like this, there's nothing I can do but leave her there, or carry her around until we find safety. But, carrying her would slow us down and her dead body would only add to my nightmares. I must leave her.

"Let's go," I say, my voice stronger now that I've calmed down.

"Are you sure?" asks Gale.

Madge looks at me and answers him, "She's sure." She understands. She had to make the same decision herself only hours ago. If you have to choose between bringing the ghost of a loved one or surviving, the latter wins out. Even still, the image of Prim's smiling face, just before the life was drained from her, haunts me as we walk through the tunnels.

After some time, Gale's communicuff starts beeping. We gather around as the face of President Coins shimmers onto the tiny, metallic screen.

"President Coin," says Gale in salute.

"Soldier Hawthorne," she replies. Then she notices the rest of us clustered around him. "Nice to see all of you have survived. We made a base camp in a clearing we found about a day's journey from the main tunnel entrance. I'm sorry to say we don't have a map of any sort to guide for you, though."

"Isn't there any way you can help us?" I ask accusingly. But I immediately regret it. I'm definitely not her favorite person. In fact, we despise each other.

"I'm sorry Soldier Everdeen; you're on your own." Then she signs off and the screen goes blank.

Great. Everyone else is safe and sound and we're stuck in the middle of nowhere. If I had kept my mouth shut maybe Coin would've been nicer. But, instead, she's left us to our own devices. Which are very few. At least we're Hunger Games survivors.

I notice everyone looking at me. Right, I'm the Mockingjay.

"Um, I think our best bet is to just keep going in the same direction," I say.

"What if we come to a fork? How do we choose which way to go?" asks Madge. I forgot she's not as tough and experienced as the rest of us.

"Just follow your instincts." Everyone nods in agreement, but underneath, I know they think I'm crazy.

Walking becomes harder and harder as we go, but no one complains. Now that things have gone back to relatively normal, I'm able to focus on the real problem at hand. Food and water. My tongue feels like sandpaper and my stomach is hollow and growling. I slide my hand up so that my arms are around Peeta. He hugs me back tightly, resting his head on mine.

Sadly, this is nothing like the Hunger Games. We won't be getting any loaves of bread for acts of love down here. Even though, finally, I realize they're real. Go figure.

What happened to all the rats that were down here earlier? I swear that I saw a few packs of them skitter by in this direction. I was using them as my guide to finding our solution: food and water. I guess we went too far. I think hard, searching for the answer to survival.

Gale says that they thought ahead and brought sacks of food with them to the tunnels, but my mother and Prim were carrying them when they were separated. Prim… My eyes start to water as the memories from only hours ago rush back to me in vivid color. The pain, the loss, the confusion. And all the things I was too sad to think about when Prim died.

Prim! Prim was carrying the food. What could have happened to it when President Snow found her? Did he take it knowing that we would find it and use it to survive? Did she give it to my mother for safe keeping? Come to think of it, what happened to the rest of them?

If Prim was down there, my mother, Hazelle, and the kids should've been close. Unless…they were killed as well. Or separated from each other like Gale was. Or at least captured. Snow would never let them go and take only Prim. He could use them against me too. Torture them like they did Peeta. Or worse. If there is anything worse. I shudder at the thought.

That's not the only thing I forgot about, though. How did President Snow get down here? The Capitol found its way into the tunnels. I let that soak in for a second. That could mean that everyone else is dead right now.

But how did they find the tunnel entrances? I suppose we could've been more discreet about where we were heading. Yelling down the halls isn't exactly secretive.

And why? Why would they enter the District at its current, burning state? They start dropping bombs and then they come into the District to taunt me. They're only playing with us. They could do a lot worse. They could've killed me on the spot. Why did they let the opportunity pass them by? Did they only come down here to make sure I wasn't dead?

Then it hits me. They know I'm alive. They know where we're hiding. They may even be watching us now. Not only do they know we're in the tunnels, but they figured out how to get to us. But… how did Snow know I'd be at that exact place at precisely that time? Could he possibly have a way to track me? He couldn't… could he? Did they put an extra tracker chip in my arm for the Quarter Quell that Johanna didn't know to take out? Could Johanna possibly be on their side, working with Snow? No. She may be rude and sarcastic, but Johanna is not a traitor.

Still, if the first part is true, does that mean that President Snow has been tracking me ever since I left the arena? Was he just playing with me, waiting for the right time to make a move, even though he knew where I was all along?

This whole time, I've been a danger to everybody. I may be depicted as a hero, as a leader of the rebellion, but really, I'm a threat to everyone that I know, anyone within a few miles of me.

It would be better if I were dead. Everyone I love would be safer if I were dead. District 12 would still be here if it weren't for me. If I were never born or had died like I was supposed to during my first games… The rebellion would have never started. My heart sinks. No matter how much I wish I were dead and try to come up with reasons why it would be better if I were, I know it wouldn't be.

If I died right now, the Capitol would win. I would escape the pain and suffering that is sure to come, but the Capitol would regain power without me there to stop them. So, I must stay alive.

I kick up clouds of dust as I walk along. I guess the only thing to do now is keep going and hope the find Base Camp.

I glance at Gale and see a blank, unemotional clone, dragging his its feet along as it walks. Only now do I realize that I should have been more reserved with Peeta, now that Gale's around. I can't imagine how painful it must have been for him to watch Peeta hold me in his arms, while I clung to every last bit of him. The whole time he must have been wishing it was him that was caressing me, shielding me from danger.

I never had a chance to tell him that I had made my choice, that Peeta was the one. I could've found a way to gently tell him, but is there a nice way to tell someone you don't love them back? I doubt it. Ans although unintentionally, instead of letting him down softly, I practically shoved it in his face. And now he is in pain.

He knew, deep down in his heart, that Peeta was right for me, that someday, I would choose him. He needed to see it though. He needed to be sure that I was a lost cause. He has no more business trying to kiss me, or be anything more than my friend.

He may love me now, but he'll get over it. If we live through this, he'll find someone better suited for him. Someone who will really love him and able to appreciate him. A nice girl who completes him, unlike me, who is just extra fire added to his own. Gale will get on without me as his lover, so, for now, just being friends will have to tide him over.

But I don't have time to worry about love. I only have time to worry about surviving. And even that's running out.

Even still, I do have a heart. One look at Peeta and I can tell he's seen Gales expression. I give him a look and he nods. In need to fix this.

I walk over to Gale; his eyes trained on the ground, and take his hand. He looks up at me and scowls, but locks his fingers around mine. We slow down so that we're out of hearing range of the rest.

"Hey, Gale," I say.

"Katniss," he says a bit too formally. It breaks my heart when he says my real name, rather than Catnip, his nickname for me from the day we met.

"Gale," I make him look me in the eye, "I'm sorry. We've been best friends since the day we met in the woods, we've never been lovers. I never thought there would be anything romantic between us until I came back from the Games." I don't need to explain. He very well knows what I'm referring to. Not long after I returned from my first Games, Gale unexpectedly kissed me in the woods. "We're too similar, you know that. Fire and fire only spark a bigger fire. We can't go a day without getting into some sort of argument. We were never meant for each other like that. But as friends, we need each other."

"What have they done to you?" he asks, making a disgusted face. "The Capitol, the Games, the fame…they've changed you, Katniss. You're their little doll. They can dress you up, make you do whatever they want, you don't even seem to mind. And now you're lecturing me? Since when do you know _anything _about love or relationships? You think that because you're they're little Mockingjay, and you've lived through two Hunger Games', that you know everything? Well you don't."

"And you think you do? All I want is for everything to go back to the way things used to be. We could be best friends, with no troubles or thoughts of love."

"It will never be the same again Katniss! Don't you get it? District 12 is gone! It's never coming back!"

We stand in stunned silence for awhile, shaking from anger, before he continues, "I knew it. From the very beginning, I knew he would win you over."

"He didn't win me Gale, I'm not a prize."

"Oh, don't flatter yourself. You know how he can manipulate words. Did you ever think he could use that on you?"

"I chose him. He didn't make me do anything. He would never use that against me," I say, my voice rising again.

"Then why did you choose him, Katniss? Why?" he yells accusingly.

"Because I love him!" I scream at him, my face inches from his.

By this point we've stopped walking, and Peeta and Madge have sped ahead, trying not to eavesdrop. Gale throws my hand aside and storms away, but in the opposite direction that we're traveling. Anyone else wouldn't have noticed, but I see the faint shine of tears beginning to fill his eyes as Gale, my best friend, walks out of my life.

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**sorry to the Gale fans out there but I always liked Peeta better. he was DEFINITELY always the one for Katniss. but u never know, Gale may come back eventually in the story... but i'm not telling u! **

**REVIEW! please**

**-thanx :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**hey this is chapter four! hope your still interested to keep reading! sorry the chapters keep getting shorter, my first id always the longest. in the beginning, the whole thing was one chapter that i had to split up. keep reading and love it!**

**please don't cry :( **

Not quite sure what to do, I stay rooted to the ground where Gale left me for a while. I stand in silence, trying to figure out what to feel; anger, loss, longing. I find nothing. I figure Peeta will come back for me, and, as I've lost the will to move, I stay motionless.

By the time Peeta and Madge come back for me, I'm practically a statue. They slowly work me into moving; get me walking down the tunnels with them.

Knowing it must be killing them to hold back their questions, I finally say, "We got into a big fight." Peeta and Madge look at me intently, glad that I'm speaking, so I go on, "We've had worse, but none of them have ended this way. He stormed off at the end. In the other direction." I relive the whole scene in vivid color as I describe it to them. "After I told him I loved you he ran away."

Peeta puts a hand on my shoulder and says, "I'm so sorry, Katniss. I should've never let you try to talk to him about it. I know you loved him."

"It's okay. I knew it wasn't going to last." As we walk I expect to be suddenly overcome with emotions. All I feel is relief.

It's finally over. I'm probably never going to see him again, but maybe it's better that way.

He was right, though. I have changed. Only not the way he says I have. If Prim's name hadn't been drawn at the reaping of the 74th Hunger Games, I would be in the woods right now, hunting with Gale, like any other day. I wouldn't know Peeta, and I would still hate all of the people of the Capitol. The rebellion wouldn't have started, and District 12 would still be here.

In some ways, I'm glad things turned out the way they did. Because I met Peeta. I actually made friends in the Capitol and in the Games. And the rebellion finally has a chance. The Capitol may actually be overrun. After all these years, the Districts will finally be free. The Games will be demolished, along with any memories of them. I will be able to settle down.

I stop my thoughts there. I don't want to imagine my future. I don't want plan out my future life only to have any hopes of it coming true destroyed. I must live in the present right now. No matter how overwhelming it can be.

I glance at my surroundings. Just Madge, Peeta, and I. We need to find more people. Find out who else survived. As much as I may hope that Johanna and Finnick survived, even though they have a better chance than most, I still worry. You never know. The rate things are going now, I'm sure only a select few groups have made it to the base camp alive. A surge of pain washes through me. Plutarch… Madge's family…Prim…Gale… and many more to come. I can't handle so many losses in one day. Gale may not have died, but I lost him today. He probably won't survive on his own anyway. So I count him as a loss.

I can't imagine how many other people must have died by now. Too many to add up. All people that I knew. There must be thousands of people starving right now.

But I still have to try. If we found Finnick and Johanna, we might have a better chance of making it to the base camp together. After all, if we teamed up with them, all of us would be two-time victors but Madge. Having been in two Hunger Games and surviving gives us an untamable edge and an even greater advantage. If only I knew where to look…or how to look for that matter.

It's impossible to navigate these tunnels without a map or a compass, if a compass would even help us down here. Now that I think of it, why didn't Coin show us a map? She's supposed to be on our side, right? But, when I think back to all my past experiences with her, it all starts to add up.

No. She's not on our side. Whether she's on the side of the Capitol or a side of her own, I don't know, but she's definitely not with us. That's why she hates me so much. She might be able to convince anyone else with her plan of action, but because I'm the face of the rebellion, my mind can't be changed. No matter what the odds, it's inevitable, I am the enemy. If she gets a hold of me when this is over, I'm a goner.

But the others still have a chance. I stop walking and turn to face Peeta and Madge. Wow, all this thinking is starting to make me lightheaded. And I'm getting pretty tired.

"There's been a slight change of plans. We're not going to the base camp anymore," I say.

"Why not?" asks a bewildered Madge.

"It's too dangerous. I've been doing some thinking over the past few hours, and I figured out why Coin hates me so much," I reply. When they still look confused, I continue, "Have you ever noticed how she never really seemed to care about the after-effects of the rebellion? Of the peace and prosperity that's our goal to create? She only cared about overthrowing the Capitol and killing President Snow." They nod in agreement, awaiting my next words. "She was never really on our side. She just knew that we had a good enough chance of taking over the Capitol. She's been lying to us and using us. I don't know whose side she's on, but it's not ours. By my guess, she's on her own. Her plan all along was to hide behind us while we obliterated the Capitol, so she could take over from there."

"That still doesn't explain why she hates you so much," says Peeta.

"Peeta, I'm the enemy here. The only reason she hasn't killed me yet is because I'm the only thing keeping the rebellion alive. Once it's over, I'm gone." When his eyes widen I hastily add, "At least in her mind. I'm the one thing standing between her and total domination. She will take power once I'm out of the way. If we can't find a way to keep her from killing me until someone else takes over, she'll have no chance of getting back on top. We have to stop her before she turns everyone against us." I have to put my hand on Peeta's shoulder to steady myself. I must be getting tired.

"But, if we want to stop Coin, shouldn't we go to the Base Camp because she's there?" asks Madge.

"That would be too dangerous at this point. She's obviously working out some sort of plan right now, and it probably involves getting rid of me. If we go to the base camp we'll be walking right into her trap. She'll kill us for sure. All of us." I answer.

"But we don't even know where base camp is, let alone where we are or where any of these tunnels lead," Peeta points out. "If we turn around that could just take us the wrong way. It doesn't make a difference which direction we go if we don't know where they'll take us." He has a good point. We're lost underground with no sense of direction.

"Okay, you're right. Changing our course will only confuse us even more. We'll jut keep going this way and hope for the best," I say.

I take one step forward, collapse to the ground and black out.

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**ooooooooh...she blacked out! keep reading to find out what happens next! and PLEASE review! reviews make me wanna keep writing! **

**thanx :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey this is the finished copy of chapter 5! hope you like it! there will be more to come!**

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**Chapter 5**

I open my eyes and see only darkness. I'm surrounded by voices, all overlapping each other, echoing, swirling around my head, but I can't see anymore than when my eyes were closed. Most of the voices sound concerned, some angry, others scared.

I'm relieved to hear a familiar one in the sea of sound, "Katniss? Katniss, are you alright?" It's Peeta, his voice overflowing with emotions. Then he's speaking to someone else. "I think she's awake. Her eyes are open and she's responding to my voice, but she's not focusing her eyes on anything, almost like she can't see," he says.

I hear movement and feel the familiar heat of Peeta's body leave my side. Another body replaces him and says, "It seems as if she can't see me either. Her gaze hasn't moved even slightly since she opened her eyes. She's not even looking at my hand, only blankly staring ahead." That voice… Finnick! Relief floods my body. Thank goodness he's alive. That means that Johanna is probably with him. I didn't know myself how worried about them I was until now. By what he's saying, though, he must have been waving his hand in front of my face, knowing my eyes would follow its movement if my sight was okay, but I didn't see a thing. Finnick's attention turns to me, "Katniss? Can you hear me? Nod or at least do something to show if you can." I can hear him, but the scary thing is, I can't see him. They confirmed the fact that my eyes were open, so there must be something wrong with my eyes. What about the rest of me? Is there a way for me to show Finnick that I can hear him? I focus on my other body parts, and feel a sharp jolt of pain when I try to lift my head. It slams back to the ground with a thud.

Immediately feel hands on me, probably Peeta's, checking my head for injuries. "Katniss, I don't know if it's safe yet, so try not to move. Okay?" I want to answer him, but oddly, I don't know how to. Like I don't have the ability to speak, or even the ability to try.

I decide to just listen to the voices and follow their instruction, hoping it will help me regain the capability to speak and see again. I'm curious, though, as to how this happened. And _what _happened. The last thing I remember, Peeta, Madge and I were talking about Coin. We had resolved to keep going in the same direction because we didn't know where any of the tunnels led to, when I blacked out. My memory ends there. What could've caused that? The only physical injury I have is the cut on my face, but that's already begun healing. What could it be…? My thoughts come to an abrupt stop.

Hunger.

We never found food or water. All those other obstacles, such as Prim's death, were only meant to distract me. All along the real problem was hunger.

The Hunger Games are not over. All the people in District 13 are in their own arena right now.

So am I.

The key to the Hunger Games is not to defeat your opponents with skills and weapons. It's to outlast them. It doesn't matter how lethal you are with a knife if you can't survive in the wild.

You must know how to be hungry. You must learn the trick to staying alive in a time where food and water are the most important things to you.

You have to overcome the games of hunger.

I must win the Hunger Games.

With this realization, my eyes are opened to the world. There's a burst of brilliant light, and then the whole world starts to fade into shapes. Suddenly, the picture makes sense.

Peeta is kneeling beside me, having a conversation with Finnick, who is standing at my feet.

I gasp as my vision returns and their heads snap toward me.

"Katniss!" Peeta says. I'm looking straight into his eyes, so he must know I can see. He looks distraught, his hair a tangled mess, like he's been running his fingers through it i frustration all day.

But, along with my sight, I have regained feeling. Aches and pains spread throughout my body, making a point to cover every inch of me. My stomach is the worst; I can feel the emptiness of it and hear it calling for food. When I look down my body, despite the burn in my neck when I lift it, I see my ribs protruding from the thin layer of skin covering them. This is not a good sign. I have seen it before, it happens often in District 12. But I have never seen it on me before.

I am beginning to starve.

It feels like I've regained the ability to speak so I try to ask Peeta what happened.

"Peeta," I say, my voice a rough, hoarse whisper.

The fact that my words made any sense to him is a miracle, but he turns to me and replies, "What is it? Are you in pain? If it hurts, try not to talk." But strangely, it doesn't hurt at all to talk. It just feels like I have a frog in my throat that won't go away.

"What happened?" I ask, trying to make my voice as clear as possible. And, oddly, within a matter of seconds, it's almost back to normal. As my voice returns, my body starts to feel movable and less sore. I attempt to sit up and find it to be easier and less painful than I expected. Without hesitation, I stand up, Peeta's strong arms there to steady me. "Where are the others? Is everyone okay?" I continue.

"Everyone's fine Katniss. At least as far as we know. We found Finnick and Johanna along the way, and it turns out they have communicuffs too," says Peeta.

"But what happened? Why isn't anyone else… like me?"

"I don't know. For some reason, your body used up all of the fat you have in a matter of hours, with a process that should have taken weeks. Whereas, everyone else is lasting longer than should be humanly possible. We don't know how, but, based on what you discovered earlier, we think Coin is targeting you."

"I was also thinking about Snow earlier. I think he found a way to track me. My guess is that he put a second tracker in my arm before the Games. That's how he knew precisely where I was when Prim…" I have to stop in the middle of my sentence to keep from bursting into tears. I don't have to explain, Peeta knows what I'm talking about. "I don't think that it was Coin who tried to starve me, but Snow. There must be something implanted in the chip that was released into my body on his command. Something that's meant to slowly kill me. Coin wouldn't do that. She's too suspicious as it is, and killing me would only weaken the rebellion. The last thing she needs is to make another fatal mistake, whereas Snow has every reason to want me dead. And, just about everyone in Panem knows it. He has no fear of losing the favor of the people if they're already against him." I don't know how comprehendible that explanation was, but he seems to understand.

"Katniss, if Snow can control what happens to you from miles away, he could do whatever he wanted. But… if he has so much power, why hasn't he killed you yet?" asks Peeta. We pause to think about this.

That means that Snow doesn't want me dead. But why? With me here to fuel it, the rebellion will only grow stronger. It may even expand to the point where we destroy the Capitol and President Snow himself. What could be the reasoning behind his actions? Does he just want to prolong my suffering? He's done that already; it doesn't seem like a good enough reason.

What could it be?

After standing, deep in thought for a while, Peeta gasps in recognition. Eyes wide with terror, he puts his hand on my shoulder and starts shoving me down the tunnel.

"Katniss, run! Get out of here now! Go!" he demands.

"But where –"

He interrupts me, "Anywhere but here! Just go, Katniss! Please! Trust me!" When he says those last two words, he looks into my eyes and takes my hands. "Please go… I can't lose you." One last, warm kiss is all I get before he gives me another push in the other direction and I'm off. I sprint through the passageways, blindly searching for a way out.

What did he mean, though? Why was he so frantic to get me away from there? What does he know that I don't?

**Peeta's POV**

I stand there, Katniss beside me, scanning my brain for possible solutions.

Suddenly, my time in the Capitol with President Snow after the Quarter Quell rushes back to me. There's a vital detail that I missed when speaking with him before the torture began.

We were sitting in his office, an extremely expensive, dark room with no windows and almost no light that was filled to the brim with the Capitol's genetically modified roses.

I had heard Katniss describe the smell before, but I had never quite understood it until that moment. The air was poisoned with the stench of blood and roses. You would think roses smell good. Not these ones. The Capitol's genetically modified roses have a sickly sweet scent that makes my stomach churn. Just one breath of it burns my nostrils.

He had brought me in there to discuss the rebellion and, of course, Katniss. I insisted that I didn't know a thing about Plutarch's plan for the Quarter Quell, and at the time, I didn't. But, I refused to talk about Katniss. Although he didn't believe for a second that I wasn't in on the rebel's plan, he eventually let it go. However, when I was stubborn about revealing my insight on Katniss, he got angry. I may be smooth with words, but it didn't fool him. After hours of questioning me and achieving nothing, he began to yell. When it became apparent that harsh words had no effect on me, due to the fact that Katniss' normal tone is similar to that, he gave up, having enough sense left to resist killing me on the spot.

But, he didn't leave without a warning. "Before I go, there is something you may want to keep in mind. For you and Katniss, if you make it out of here. I read it on a fortune cookie and thought it might be useful to you two. Sometimes the key is inside you, waiting to burst free. If you look deep enough, you just may find that you are closer than you thought." With an evil smile a chuckle, he disappeared, leaving me to the solitude of his pitch black, rose-scented office.

And finally, those words make sense to me. Deep inside of Katniss is the extra chip, and we must be getting closer to where Snow is, where he can control what happens to her. 'Waiting to burst free'… a bomb! The chip is a bomb! We're nearing Snow's control site, so he could set it off at any minute.

I suck in a shocked breath and Katniss immediately knows I've come to a conclusion. But I don't have time to explain it to her now. I just need to get her out of here.

I start to lead her down the tunnel, "Katniss, run! Get out of here, now! Go!" I yell, hoping the honest urgency of my words will get her moving.

"But where –" she begins, but I cut her off.

"Anywhere but here! Just go, Katniss! Please! Trust me!" She still doesn't seem to understand the severity of the situation, so I go to an emotional level. Taking her scarred, yet soft, hands in mine, I look straight into her entrancing, misty gray eyes. "Please go… I can't lose you," I practically whisper. And it's true. It may sound selfish, but I love her too much to let her go so easily. By her expression, I think she sees the truth behind my words. I lean down and giver her one, last, adoring kiss, that I must break off too early. Then, before she can give it another thought, I give her one last shove and she takes of down the tunnel.

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**I wouldn't normally do this, but I thought you might want to know why all this happened, so I gave you a little bit from Peeta's POV. Hope you didn't mind cuz I actually liked writing from his POV. there will be more chapters to come for sure so just hang in there! **

**oh wait, there was this one person who I would like to thank who sent me a really nice review. "I love this story if u stop it might ruin my life! Please keep writting!"  
it had no name and no reply URL so i couldn'r answer it, but i hope whoever wrote it reads this. i had just gotten my first bad reviews the day before, so that one review helped get me going again! it made me wanna keep writing cuz it let me know that at least someone was looking forward to the rest of my story. i needed that and i know how to take criticism now! **

**THANK YOU!**

**im out :^)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry it took so long to update, but I has TONS of homework to do and I've just been really busy. thanks sooo much for the encouraging reviews, it helps make me better and give me confidence to keep writing! i'll try to update as much as possible, but I'm at a tough spot so it may be awhile. sorry for the wait! **

**ENJOY :D**

**Chapter 6**

**Katniss' POV**

After I feel I've gone far enough to be safe, I slow down to a steady jog. What I'm running from though, is still a mystery. What could've caused Peeta to react the way he did? I could see it in the way his terror-stricken face paled; he knew there was danger near. If it was dangerous in that area of the tunnel, why didn't he come with me? He was in such a panic and it all happened so fast that I didn't even get a chance to think about what I was doing. The pain in his eyes… I had to go; a simple request, but all too meaningful.

Only I wish I'd had more time to contemplate the circumstances. More time for him to explain. Then I would have had a stronger purpose for fleeing the scene. And maybe we could've found a way for Peeta to come too.

I feel almost guilty about leaving him behind. I ran from there like my life was the only thing that could possibly matter to me. When, really, his life is life is far more important than mine.

He deserves to be saved. After all of the times people, one of them being Peeta, have risked, or even sacrificed, their lives for mine, I need to return the favor. He deserves to be the life that everyone wants to preserve more than anything else.

But it's too late for that now. If I had thought of someone other than myself before I left him, I could've turned the situation around. And if what he just did meant sacrificing his life for me, I don't deserve to live.

Again, I'm back to coming up with reasons why I shouldn't be alive. And again, I must change the subject.

I slow down to a walk, wishing I could turn around and run back to Peeta. But I know I can't. So my realistic wish for now is to find someone along the way who can help me. At least someone who can keep me company. Also, I don't want to run into Coin, Snow or anyone who might be on their side or against me.

After years of hunting, my light footsteps are silent on the soft dirt ground, but I should be cautious anyway. You never know who might be around.

I don't know why, but it seems as though whatever was making me starve is wearing off. Maybe it's the exercise, but the further I go, the less hungry I feel. It's comforting to know I have one less thing to worry about for the time being, especially since that was a major issue. It meant the difference between life and death.

My stomach feels like it's shrunk, but that only works to my advantage. A smaller stomach needs less food, and the less food I need, the longer I can go without.

I find almost no logic in that statement, but my gut is telling me it's true, so I listen to it.

After awhile, I notice that the tunnel is starting to get damp and humid. I try to suppress the squeal of joy trying to escape my throat. I run my fingers along the rough side of the tunnel and find that it's dripping wet. I thirstily lick my fingers and am about to lick the wall itself when I come out of my starved daze.

I can't be sure that it's water. This could be another one of Snow's tricks.

I spit what's left of the liquid out of my mouth, and wipe my tongue with my shirtsleeve to be thorough.

It tasted like water. And I'm so thirsty… No. I can't let him use my biggest weakness to drive me out of my senses. The fat may be slightly returning to my body, but I still need water.

I timidly approach the stone wall and smell it. What does water smell like? Most people would say nothing, but really, water has a fresh, sweet scent to it. Not like fresh strawberries, more like… rain. I love the smell of rain. Cool, clear, and refreshing. Smooth on your skin.

But rain was not what I was smelling at the moment. There was the dull stone of the wall, but nothing else. So, as much as I wanted to drink every last bit of it, I continued down the path.

Every few yards or so, I stop to sniff the walls, hoping for the fragrance of water to suddenly appear, but nothing changes.

After a couple of hours, I decide to call it a night. Whether it's day or night though, I have no idea. I commit to five more minutes of walking before I allow myself to rest.

As I push through my last step, I turn a corner and find a fork in the tunnel.

Finally, something that lets me know these tunnels don't all lead to the same place.

I choose the one that branches off from my original path, hoping it will take me somewhere with people, but not to Snow or Coin.

Because I find new hope in this second path, I keep walking for a good half-hour more, to get a good start on tomorrow's journey. Traveling in a different direction may lead to new discoveries. Hopefully, one of them being drinkable water. I don't think I can stand much longer without it.

When my legs finally can't hold me anymore, I decide to find a good, dry spot to make camp. Up ahead, I find an indent in the rock wall that's just the right size for me. It's such a perfect fit, that it looks almost like someone knew I was coming and made it just for me. The thought of someone knowing my every move sends shivers down my spine.

I smooth down the dirt-packed ground and make a loose pile to rest my head on. I lay down, concealed by rock and darkness, and try to fall asleep. Sadly, it's going to be a while before my thoughts calm down.

I wonder what Peeta's doing right now. Is he okay? Did Coin find him? Or worse, did Snow? After all, if he can track me, shouldn't he be able to track Peeta? He was in the Games too, and Snow could've easily put an extra tracker in his arm, like I think he did me.

I hope he's still alive. Even if he is, he's not okay. Knowing him, if no one's found him yet, he's doing the same thing I am. Trying to rest for the night, but worrying too much about me. As much as I wish he were here though, lying next to me, as the Mockingjay, I must be strong. If I can't last one night without Peeta, I'm not who everyone needs me to be. I will be strong.

I slowly drift off to sleep and find myself dreaming about Gale. Actually, it was more like a nightmare than a dream.

I'm sitting in an empty room, a cave I think, in the solemn darkness of night. Hugging my knees, I sit on the cave floor, staring at the wall. I don't try to escape; somehow I already know it's impossible. The images of Snow's and Coin's faces dance across my vision, threatening to drive me insane. I take deep calming breaths, but the thought of spending the rest of eternity here is eating away at me.

Suddenly, Gale materializes from the pure darkness before me. He wears a pained expression, completely open and not attempting to hide his feelings. It is and air I have never fully seen on his face, and it scares me to see him like this. Because I know I caused it. I caused him to feel this much pain.

"Why?" he asks me, barely a whisper.

Seeing the true emotion behind his eyes, and having n words to explain how I feel, I stand up and throw myself into his arms. It's so warm and comforting that I never want to leave. Only, it's not like Peeta. It's a friendly hug, one I might have given him years back, when romance was nothing but a fairytale to us. And I like it. I need Gale. He is my hunting partner; my best friend. Nothing more. I hope someday he will understand that.

But, as I'm basking in the glory of friendship, I feel the warmth slip away from Gale's body. He becomes cold and his grip on me turns possessive, angry. I look up to find the smiling face of President Snow glaring down at me. He laughs evilly as his limbs elongate and become scaly, slippery snakes, coiling around my body. They wind around my neck and waist and begin to tighten. I uselessly flail about, trying to save myself.

Just as I feel my last breath escape my lips, I wake with a start.

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**Okay, so this chapter was kinda boring. and short. sorry. but I'm having some serious writers block! i'll use all the help I can get. pLeAsE rEvIeW! **

**thanks and bye :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Heyyyy sorry it took so long for me to post this chapter, i've been soooo busy with h.w. and thanksgiving and such. but i hope you like it anyway!**

**ENJOY :D**

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**Chapter 7**

I'm screaming at the top of my lungs, my clothes drenched with sweat. My hands grip the rock surrounding me so tightly that my knuckles have turned white and blood drips from my fingers.

I slowly release my hold on the stone and sit up. Breathing hard, I try to sort out my thoughts.

Gale.

A short time away has been good for us, but we need each other. I need my best friend back.

I now regret screaming in his face. If I hadn't pushed him as far as to say that I loved Peeta, suggesting that I didn't love him, he might have stayed. He could be anywhere right now; dead or alive.

No matter where he is, I need to find him.

Suddenly motivated, I stand up and prepare for my journey to find my hunting partner. Then I realize that I am utterly alone, and have nothing with me to prepare.

Although this seems to be a relatively isolated part of the tunnels, I brush off the place where I slept, obscuring any evidence that I was ever here.

I take off down the tunnel at a steady jog, trying not to get my hopes of finding Gales too high.

**Peeta's POV**

Once Katniss is gone, I find that I'm at a loss. What do I do now? Why didn't I go with her? But then I remember that, as much as I want to be there to protect her, I would only weigh her down.

My attempts to quiet my footsteps never prevail. Katniss has always been an especially fast runner, but I can't match her speed and she would never leave me behind, no matter how much I begged. Having me there could also lead more people there. If you look at the situation in any light, I would only be a burden to her. So it is best that I stayed behind.

Even so, where do I go now? What do I do? Follow Katniss' path even though I don't want to catch up to her? Go in the opposite direction; knowingly fall deeper into Snow's trap? I may be safe from any harm he could do from a distance, but if I travel closer to him, he could appear from the shadows at any moment.

It brings me back to the unforgettable day when he snatched me from the area of the Quarter Quell. I shudder as I try to push away the memories of the torture he inflicted on me. It hits me with such force that I have to sit down and close my eyes to let the nausea pass. I sit in silence for a few minutes, the pain taking longer to retreat than usual.

Finally, I stand and try to clear my head.

_Remember, you're doing this for Katniss. _

When I tell myself that, it gives me the strength to keep going and make the sacrifices needed.

_This is for Katniss. The girl on fire. The girl you love. _

I take a deep breath, turn on my heel, and let my love for Katniss guide me down the tunnel toward President Snow.

**Katniss' POV**

After a few hours, I notice my stomach has gone from getting better, to feeling more hollow. My tongue is rough and dry and my body feels almost entirely free of liquid. Somehow, though I can still feel my hunger and thirst, that's not my main focus at the moment.

It's as if my dream has sent me into a craze; the only thing that matters to me is finding Gale. Every time I start to feel tired or thirsty, my heart tells me, _I need my best friend back_,and I find the will to go on.

I think it was a sign. My dream was telling me that I can't stay away from him forever. The part about President Snow I have yet to figure out, but I know this much.

I must find Gale Hawthorne.

Because, although it may not be the way he wants it to be, I love him. And he loves me. He will learn that there is another girl out there, better suited to him. One that will love him even more than me, and as even more than a friend. Until then, he must deal with loving me as a friend, and nothing more.

As I continue walking through the tunnels, I begin to realize how scarily similar my situation is to the Hunger Games. I'm wandering around an unknown territory, all alone, hoping to find food somewhere. I thought I was out of the arena for good this time. That they couldn't trap me anymore.

I was wrong.

We were all wrong.

**Gale' POV**

As far as I can tell, it's been about two days since I ended the little friendship left between Katniss and I.

And I regret leaving her more than anything else I've ever done.

At the time, it seemed like the right decision. The only decision. I now see how completely wrong I was.

The way she acted, the way she screamed at me… I had to get away. She shoved my broken heart in my face. By yelling those three, simple words, she severed the last strand of friendship we had left, and I finished the cut by storming away.

When she said she loved Peeta, it destroyed all of my remaining hopes that she would someday love me back. So I did the only thing I could think to do.

I ran away.

But once the anger had dissipated, I was left with an empty, aching feeling. Like my heart was stolen from my chest, but its pain had stayed within me. There was a part of me missing. A part that I could not survive without.

It wasn't until now, two days later, that I realized what that part was. And I was stupid not to see it before.

Katniss.

If she really does love Peeta, then maybe we're not meant to be. Maybe I should rethink my feelings for her. Friend? Or lover? Maybe the answer is actually friend. Even on my part. Do I still love her like that?

My head drops so I'm staring at the ground.

None of that matters now. Because I'm never going to see her again.

After that last outburst, we parted ways for good.

It was the worst place it could've possibly happened. In this maze of unforgiving tunnels, where we would never be able to find each other, even if we wanted to.

And that was my fatal mistake. Walking away from Katniss at that place and time was the worst decision I've ever made.

I miss my hunting partner more than anything in the world, and would give my life to see her again. I guess that's ironic though, because if I died, I wouldn't be _able_ to see her.

Either way, I need her back.

And soon.

Ever since last night, I've begun to miss Katniss so much, it's almost painful.

I had a dream, or more of a sign, that has sent me on a wild goose chase, searching for my best friend. As soon as I woke up, the need to find her sent me blindly running through the tunnels, for hours on end, until I finally woke from my trance.

Up until that point, I'd had at least a sense of where I was going and how far I'd gone, but I lost all sense of direction when I ran for Katniss.

I don't know what came over me. It was almost like I had no control over my body. The only thing that mattered, or would ever matter, was her.

My head was filled with images of her, during and after my dream. She was the only face I saw.

Katniss in the woods, her bow and arrow in hand, poised to shoot.

Katniss sitting by the lake, digging up Katniss roots in the mud. Katniss in her first Games, starving and wounded.

Katniss in the arena, hiding in the brush and spying on the Careers, a fierce expression on her face.

Katniss looking up at me, smiling and holding my hand.

Katniss before her second Games, looking dazzling in her smoking Mockingjay dress.

Katniss on the brink of insanity, in District 13, after returning from the Quarter Quell.

And finally, Katniss' face while yelling at me before I left her. The pain in her eyes was unmistakable, but the truth in her words did more to me than any amount of her suffering. That memory sent me over the edge, and I began t run for her.

After that, though, there was one last image that flashed before my eyes. It was one I didn't remember, hadn't seen before, and it lingered behind my eyelids longer than the rest.

Katniss was sitting in a wooden rocking chair, cradling something in her arms. When I looked closer, I saw it was a baby, wrapped in a pale green blanket. The rosy-faced child was beautiful. It had Peeta's curly blonde hair, and Katniss' stormy gray eyes. Katniss lovingly smiled down at the child, looking the happiest I've ever seen her.

The only problem was, I wasn't the one who had made her so happy. Peeta was. By giving her something only he would be able to give her.

Her own child.

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**SO? what do you think? please tell me and review! i'll post the next chapter as soon as I can!**

**-Court-court :) (you wouldn't understand unless you were katie castle)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Okay, so this may be kinda confusing, but this chapter is written from a different person's POV. So as not to give anything away too soon, I'm not telling you who it is yet. Don't worry though, it's pretty obvious who it is once you get into it, it was kinda hard to be secretive. **

**hope you like it! **

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**Chapter 8**

**(read authors note above or else this will make almost no sense)**

Alone.

That is the one word to describe how I feel.

Whether I should be scared or afraid doesn't even cross my mind.

I simply feel utterly alone.

I don't know where I am. I don't know who else is near. I don't know who is still alive. I can only hope.

I have been here for about three days now. All alone. Because of one stupid mistake. My mistake.

Katniss and Peeta left our room after warning us about the evacuation. It was so sudden and unexpected; I didn't know what to do.

My mother and I ran around the room, packing things up, taking only the most valuable items we wouldn't want to perish if things wet terribly wrong. And things normally went terribly wrong.

But, I noticed it as soon as they walked in. By the way the gripped each others' hands. How they looked at each other, even for the simplest reasons. I'd seen it before, but it had never been this real.

Katniss and Peeta were together. Finally.

I knew it was going to happen. Of course Peeta's love for Katniss was unmistakable and seemed stronger than life itself. But, Katniss was a different story. She was always afraid to choose between Gale and Peeta; to show how she really felt. Whenever anyone tried to talk to her about it, she denied loving either of them as more than friends.

But I'd seen her moments with Peeta. She truly loved him. And she finally showed it.

That simple fact spread indescribable warmth throughout me. It made me so happy to see Katniss happy, and in love. That is the one thing that had kept me going. Knowing that Katniss has someone reliable and who loves her to protect her and keep her safe.

Once my mother and I had finished packing, we went searching for our tunnel exit. Just as we were checking the emergency floor plan that shows the nearest exits, we heard a loud 'boom', and the whole room shook. We scrambled out into the hallway and ran smack into the Hawthornes. After quickly deciding to travel together, we sprinted toward the exit. Naturally, Gales was the fastest and led the group. Then, we heard another explosion, this time coming from above us, and the ceiling collapsed before our eyes. We'd had the sense to stop, but another family kept running, in a panic, and ended up buried under the rubble.

After frantically looking around, I realized Gale wasn't beside me anymore. Which meant…he was either dead or separated from us. I was desperately hoping it's the latter when I heard a loud buzzing sound behind me. I spun around and saw an enormous hovercraft treading the air where the majority of the ceiling should've been. At the bottom of the ladder hanging from it was the menacing figure of President Snow, having just descended from it.

With nowhere to run, since the collapsed ceiling was blocking the entire hallway behind us, I stood my ground as he approached us. He didn't attempt to make small talk. He got straight to the point.

"It's such awful luck you had to end up in such a position as this. You have solely Miss Katniss Everdeen to thank for that," he said with a smile. I tried to imitate Katniss' signature scowl and direct it at him, but he just laughed. "I might almost be sorry when I kill you." He sighed and motioned his hand upward. The hovercraft came and hovered above our heads. I had a strong urge to run, but struggled to fight it, because it would have been no use.

The ladder for Snow lowered at the same time that a large metal claw reached down to pick me up, along with my friends and family.

We were harshly thrown into a room that's far too similar to a jail cell; iron bars and all. Once we reached our destination, we were individually removed from the cell and hovercraft, me being the last to leave.

But instead of a guard, like for the rest, Snow came to retrieve me personally. He didn't say a word until we had reached my next prison. As he was about to shut the door and leave me to my own empty room, he said, "The clock is ticking. Don't waste your time." Then the door slammed and locked behind him, the last sliver of light shrinking to nothing until darkness enveloped me.

Once my eyes had adjusted, I take in my surroundings.

It's a small, dull gray room; the walls made of old metal and lined with silver bolts.

There is one window, barred with thick iron, overlooking a barren field with patches of dead grass and no bushes or trees. It gives off little light though, seeing as it's always night time out there.

The room has no furniture but one little table. In the far corner is a small round table made of dark wood covered in chipped purple paint. It's the only colorful thing around, and the one thing that gave me a glimmer of hope that I have not been completely consumed by evil.

About three days later, I'm still shut in this dark, empty room. And it's the most alone I've felt since Katniss left for her first Hunger Games two years ago.

I pass time by remembering old math problems from school, and studying in my head for tests that I will never have to take. I think about ways to escape, possible fates for me and the rest.

When I start to feel sad, I think about Buttercup and Lady. Katniss and mother. Peeta and Gale. Everybody I care about. I remember how much I love them and reminisce on the good memories we've had.

I sleep as much as I can, to keep away the loneliness, but eventually become restless or am startled awake by a nightmare.

Mostly my nightmares are about Katniss dying. Every time she suffers a different, more painful death, and no matter how hard I try, I can never reach her, and am forced to stand by and watch. What scares me the most though, is not the nightmare itself, but the fact that any of those things could be happening to her right now. So, I try to shut out all thoughts of my dreams.

When I finally have a moment where all bad thoughts are forgotten, which has only happened to me once, I sit down and soak in the pureness.

When it lasted for more than a few minutes, I even stood up and started to sing. And dance.

I don't know what cam over me. But, if only for s moment, I actually thought that everything would be okay. I found a sliver of hope that I might be able to live, and everyone else may be okay. That life would go on. And happiness and love would blossom again.

With that surge of joy, I twirled and leaped about the room, singing at the top of my lungs. I sang Katniss' favorite songs, my father's favorite songs, and remembered my dream that someday, the birds would stop singing just to listen to my voice.

Like they do for Katniss.

Like they did for my father.

Ever since Katniss participated in the Hunger Games, that dream has become a thing of the past. I have to focus on more important things now.

But not even that could spoil my wonderfully rare mood. It was amazing to feel so alive again. I almost felt like the old me again. I hadn't felt that good in a long time. So I savored it by working hard too shut out everything else, even if only temporarily.

Eventually, though, all good things must come to an end. At least that what my life so far has led me to believe. Slowly the happiness faded, until only a faint glow was left. But I held onto that light, fast and strong, and was determined to keep it until I was freed from this place.

So now I lay on the cold concrete floor, sprawled out on my back, gripping my light, my last hope, like the world depends on it. And it very well might.

I hear stirring by the door; the first sign of movement made by anyone other than me since Snow abandoned me. I jump to my feet and silently creep towards it. I'm about to press my ear to the wall to listen for voices when the door swings open, flooding the room with light. It's so blindingly bright that I collapse to the ground at the sight of it.

I remain on the floor, though, not wanting to face my visitor. Instead, I look at their reflection in the window.

Standing in the doorway is an unfamiliar guard. He looks extremely muscular in his uniform, which is obviously meant to intimidate me, and has cropped brown hair. I look at him expectantly even though he can't see my face.

After examining me carefully, he takes a step out of the door way, making a sweeping gesture with his hands and revealing the vile President Snow. I scowl to myself at the thought that he had the nerve to come back.

He has a smile plastered on his face, his over-sized lips bulging, but the evil glint in his eyes reminds me of what he really is. He seems so amused by the sight of me, helpless and weak, that he could burst out laughing at any minute.

Since I've decided to give him the silent treatment, he speaks first. His ominous voice echoes in my head.

"Prim? Time's up."

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**So I hope you liked it! in case that was confusing, the part where they were escaping from the bombing and Snow caught them was in past tense. then when it's talking about the room and what it looks like, it's basically present tense from there on. Ans a you may have noticed, Prim is still alive. She is not dead like Katniss thinks she is. **

**That was just a helpful hint there as to what the heck is going on with Prim and whether she's alive or not. **

**Anyways, PLEASE REVIEW! they make me want to keep writing cuz i know people actually like to read it. and i will take constructive criticism!**

**thanx :D**


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm really sorry that this update took so long, but I've been having some serious writer's block and was completely swamped with stuff to do (mainly homework). I also really hope you like this chapter because not much happens in it and it's kinda confusing. **

**Anyways, enjoy!**

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**Chapter 9**

**Prim's POV**

I have lost. I have lost the battle.

I have failed Katniss.

And I have failed all of Panem.

I now sit strapped to a chair in the middle of the Capitol's interrogation room. Bound tight by think, rough ropes and cold, hard chains to a lonely chair in the center of the room.

I'm freezing cold and burning hot all at once, a cold sweat dripping down my face. I'm breathing hard and trying not to cry, but small whimpers escape my lips. I close my eyes and try to calm down, taking deep breaths.

I can feel a pair of eyes on me, Snow's eyes; his unforgiving gaze piercing my soul even though I can't see him through my closed eyelids. I feel him move his face so it's only inches from mine, his shadow darkening the space before me.

"Tell me!" he screams in a voice so loud and sharp, that my ears ring in pain at the sound. My eyes snap open and I stumble back in my chair. I quickly shut them again as he raises his hand.

_Whack! _A searing pain penetrates my cheek as the whip strikes me and I let out another involuntary whimper.

I can already see the scars I'm going to have. Permanent lines all across my body that will forever damage my beauty. I feel so selfish, thinking about my appearance at a time like this.

I try to let my anger take over, like Katniss does, and direct it at Snow, but my attempted scowl falters as I cry out in pain from the slight movement.

I cautiously glance down my body, expecting the worst. Apparently, I hadn't known nearly the severity of the worst. Every inch of my skin is some altered shade of a bruise; blue, purple, green. It disgusts me to look at myself. I will never again be the innocent, beautiful person I once was. But then again, didn't I see that coming when Katniss first entered the deceiving realm of the Hunger Games?

Snow laughs at my helplessness. "When will you learn? You're only making this harder for yourself and Katniss by being difficult. Only causing her more pain," he says.

I harshly flip my head up to glare at him, pain poisoning every fiber of my being. It must've been the reaction he wanted because he smiles.

"What did you do to Katniss?" I ask cautiously. My voice is quiet and rough, tainted with pain, but that only gives it more of an edge.

"What have I done to Katniss?" he asks, almost to himself, giving me a chance to see if I really want to know. A chance to opt out of hearing the devastating truth. Either learn the horrible reality about how he has made Katniss suffer, or decline, give up, turn away. If he's giving me one last choice, I must choose for Katniss.

I remain decidedly silent so he continues. "The very first day you were brought here, you refused to cooperate. You evaded answering my questions and disobeyed all of my orders. Correct?" I do not answer so he yells, "Correct?"

I stiffly nod my head, almost imperceptibly.

"That very day, Katniss received her first punishment. There are consequences to having a difficult sister," he continues.

So he's punishing Katniss for my misbehavior. That's even worse than if he were to kill _me _or torture _me _and be done with it. He knew that making Katniss suffer would cause me more pain than anything else.

"I went down to visit her, to say 'hi', have a little chat. I brought with me one of the Capitol's latest discoveries. A robot of sorts, a clone, an exact replica of you." He draws out those last four words, giving it all the more effect.

My heart shatters. Turns to dust and is swept away by the wind. I struggle to see through the pain that is clouding my vision, and glare at Snow. I can practically see the evil emanating from him. The things he could do to hurt Katniss with a replica of me are infinite. There are too many scenarios imaginable, and none of them end well. So I quiet my thoughts and listen.

"Do you know what that replica can do?"

I answer with my eyes and the anger that fills them.

"It can imitate your voice flawlessly, have similar, if not completely accurate, reactions to yours, and die before the very eyes of your unsuspecting sister," he states simply. My jaw drops. "I strangled your clone while Katniss watched helplessly, unable to reach you in time. It was quite a convincing act if I may say so myself. It was the first time I had ever seen her cry."

Cry? Katniss cried? I had never seen Katniss cry before. I don't think my mother had either. She must have really fallen for it. She must be in so much pain right now. The thought of Katniss weeping over my dead body is unbearable, and one I quickly push out of mind. Snow wins after all. We're both suffering now.

Tears stream down my face uncontrollably as I sob for my suffering sister. Snow smiles, and taking advantage of my moment of weakness, says, in a voice dripping with savagery, "Now, is there anything you wish to tell me?" He leans forward, hungry for my next words. I'm torn in two. Between, doing what I know is right, staying silent and taking the blow, and giving away all of Katniss' secrets to save us both a lot of agony. I'm dangerously close to falling towards the latter, to losing my hold on goodness and cascading over the edge into the abyss of darkness.

My life has been almost unlivable, and I have had to endure more than any child should ever have to. I have come severely close to starving, had my sister, who has taken care of me my whole life, thrown into an arena to fight to the death, twice, and have lost my home and almost everyone I knew back in District 12. That was only the bulk of my suffering. There were many more events that are almost too numerous to count. The worst part: the cause of most of that was Katniss. I love her more than anything in the world, but without her, life would be much easier. The beloved Mockingjay has really been the cause of most of the tumult between the Capitol and the Districts. She has generated trouble and trouble alone.

It pains me to think such things, but maybe it's time for Katniss to go, after all.

As all of these thoughts poison my brain, President Snow stares at me in anticipation. I let my feelings show on my face and a grin spreads across his.

"I see you've made your decision," he says with satisfaction. "The dark side."

I let a smile creep onto my lips and nod. He extends a hand toward me, and I flinch, automatically expecting him to strike me again. He takes my hand, tied down as it may be, and shakes it. "We are in agreement, then?" I again nod, relieved that this torture will all be over soon. "Good," he says.

Snow turns for a split-second to motion for someone, and during that split second, I stand, leaning heavily forward because of the chair that I'm chained to, and spin around, as I've done about a million times in my head to get precisely the right angle. The hard, metal chair hits Snow squarely in the chest just as he's turning back to face me, knocking the wind out of him and causing him to stumble backwards. The look of complete shock on his face makes me want to laugh out loud at my accomplishment. I turn again, take a few steps away, and back into him, the legs of the chair instantly finding his face and drawing a satisfying amount of blood. I take one last swing, flipping around so as to hit him from the side, and one of the legs, the one with a sharp edge, strikes his temple, indefinitely rendering him unconscious.

_He really thought I would betray my sister?_

I pause for a quick moment of victory, smiling to myself, and then dash out of the room, (the door of which Snow carelessly left wide open), hoping to find other means of detaching myself from this chair.

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**So I hope you liked it! So far, a lot of the chapters to this story are not pleasing me, and I might actually go back and edit and/or rewrite a lot of them (thanks to Moore Darling's advice) so that it might become at least halfway decent. **

**And I know everyone says this in their authors notes, but PLEASE REVIEW! It really does mean a lot and it helps me too. So thank you to those who do review and keep doing that!**


	10. Chapter 10

**This one was a quicker update! Did you notice? Well, whether you did or didn't, if you are indeed planning to read this, I hope you like it! ****

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**Chapter 10**

**Peeta's POV**

As I turn from the direction Katniss is heading, I remember that I'm not alone.

"Peeta?" Finnick asks. "What's going on? Why did you send Katniss away?"

I spin around again and face him. I had completely forgotten that there were other people around, who must have witnessed that entire scene between Katniss and I. When talking with her, in a time of such intense emotion, it was almost like the rest of the world was gone. Like she was the only one that mattered and I had to keep her safe, at all costs.

I glance at the faces before me; Finnick, Johanna, Madge, all waiting for an explanation. I have been too focused on Katniss as of late, and seem to have been neglecting them. I can't forget about my friends. They have been doing everything in their power to help me; I have to help them too.

"There's something I just discovered, and it's very important, but we have to go. I'll explain while we walk," I say. They hesitantly follow, and I describe the situation to them: Snow, the chip, the bomb, everything. They take a minute to process what I've said before speaking.

"That means that there's a possibility that all of us contain hidden chips, except for Madge, of course," says Finnick.

He didn't pose it as a question, but I answer anyway. "Yes. Snow could be tracking not only Katniss, but _us_ right now."

"And we are walking straight into his trap," Johanna concludes emotionlessly.

We share a grim look among the four of us, knowing that our most likely fate is in the clutches of President Snow. No matter what manner he chooses to do so in, he will find us, of that I am sure.

At least we know it's for a good cause; to keep our Mockingjay alive.

**Katniss' POV**

I'm jogging down the tunnel, wondering how on earth this will lead me to Gale, when I see him. Or rather, run face first into him.

We collide while turning a sharp corner and bump noses, causing us to stumble backwards confusedly. Hand pressed to my newly broken nose, I start to snap at the person, until I see who it is.

"Gale!" I immediately run into his arms, though he seems taken aback by the sudden gesture. I inhale deeply, taking in the scent of pine and earth, like his own cologne. Even though he's been away from the woods and shut underground, the familiar fragrance still lingers. His hair is the same as always, if slightly rumpled, and his skin is still its smooth olive tone. I pull back to look into his eyes, two swirling storms of gray, and see my feelings mirrored in them.

I have finally found my best friend, my hunting partner. And I need to apologize to him for the way I've treated him lately. "Gale… I'm sorry for yelling at you… back with Peeta and Madge." My heart squeezes at the thought of Peeta. We have been apart far too long.

"Catnip, you don't have to apologize. I needed to be woken up, and that did the job." He tries to say it offhandedly, but I can see the true pain he is feeling, though it may be less than the last time I saw him.

"Gale, you deserve an apology. And I'm going to give you one. That's that, and it can be over now." He needs to know that I truly am sorry, and that I didn't mean to say the things I did, no matter how true they were, I was just angry. "Gale, I'm sorry."

He turns away but I grip his shoulders and force him to face me. My gaze seems to cut through him, until he finally answers me. "Fine," he says. "You apologized. Are we done now?"

"Yes," I reply. "And I'm so glad to have you back." I pull him into another hug, and this time, his arms envelope me in warmth without hesitation.

When we break apart, Gale seems to return to reality first. "Where do we go from here? More importantly, how do we find our way there? I've been wandering through these tunnels all this time, and it still all looks the same. I don't know how we managed to find each other, this place is like a maze," he says.

Suddenly, everything snaps into place. A maze! The tunnels are a maze! Then, another sickening thought hits me. A maze. The perfect setting for a Hunger Games arena. My stomach lurches as the world seems to spin around me. I'm in the arena again. This cannot be happening. This cannot be happening. I must have started to fall, because I feel Gale's arms surround me and stand me upright.

"Katniss? Are you okay?" he asks. "What happened?" I grab hold of his arm for balance and try to explain without heaving up the contents of my stomach. After all, if there's anything I've learned from my past Hunger Games experiences, it's that I have to be strong. I can't fall prey to this trap that Snow has set for me; I cannot afford to be weak, not only for myself, but for the people I love and for the people of Panem.

"It's a maze. Don't you get it? President Snow turned this place into the next Hunger Games arena. And we, along with everyone else in these tunnels, are the tributes," I say gravely.

His expression is one of complete shock and confusion. "How is that possible? These tunnels were created by District 13, when they were playing dead. Snow wasn't involved because that would mean he was helping them."

"He must have been. There's no other way…" I trail off as I grasp the answer, plain as day, yet another dreadful realization. "There is no other way. He must have demanded control of the construction of the tunnels back when District 13 built them, knowing that they would succeed anyway. That means he's even more powerful than we thought."

Gale opens his mouth, as if about to protest, but rethinks the situation and remains silent, almost defeated. We've put nearly all of the puzzle pieces together, but I still feel like we are just as clueless as before, and even more hopeless.

My head is swimming when suddenly I think back to Peeta. Is he okay right now? I never found out why he sent me away so abruptly, though it was, no doubt, for my safety. He must be so worried about me, just as I am worried about him. My heart aches to see him again, to have his strong arms around me, his soft lips against mine. Now that I've found Gale, if purely by chance, I must find Peeta. And soon.

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**So, yes, this chapter was pretty boring, but that was some necessary info and I had to get through it. Hopefully, the next chapter will be more exciting and interesting, but for now...you'll just have to wait! :D**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hope you like the twist I put on the story, cause I thought it was getting too boring. So, enjoy like always! And have you noticed that I started udating faster? I'll try to keep up the speed so you won't have to wait in suspense!**

**Chapter 11**

**Katniss' POV**

"Gale, I have no idea how we're going to do it, but we have to find Peeta," I say firmly.

"What? Where did this come from? Is it not enough that you just found me?" he shoots back.

"Gale. I thought we were done with this. I may not love you the way you want me to, but you're still my best friend. You know you would want desperately to find me if I weren't with you now. That's how I feel about Peeta. Besides, it's not like changing our direction would stop me from finding him, we have no idea how to find our way through these tunnels." I just have to hope that my heart alone leads me to him.

"I guess you're right, but –"

"Please, Gale. Would you rather I go without you?"

He sighs. "Let's go."

So, we continue walking in the direction that Gale was originally traveling, and can only hope that the odds will be _ever _in our favor.

**Peeta's POV**

The farther we walk, the more our pace slows. After hours and hours of walking non-stop, we're all drained and need a good nights rest. We decide to stop for a while to get some sleep, and find a little nook in the tunnels, almost like a short, dead-end path.

We're just settling down and when I hear a scuttling noise off to the right. We fall silent and focus on the sound. After intently staring at the spot for a few minutes and finding nothing more, we go back to discussing the events of the day and our other problems.

"I don't know how we're going to make it much further, we haven't eaten in days, and our canteen of water is running out," says Finnick. "I think –" Without warning, a giant rat appears from the shadows and leaps across me, landing on Johanna's lap.

"What the –" Her eyes widen in surprise, but her expression quickly changes as she lunges for the rat, simultaneously pulling a knife from her boot. She easily catches it and slits its throat, a triumphant smile spreading across her face. "Looks like I just caught our dinner," she says. We all stare in incredulity for a while until Madge breaks the silence.

"Where did you get that knife?" she asks. Finnick looks just as baffled.

Johanna looks irritated by the question and strides over to her, eyes already narrowed to slits. "Once you enter the Hunger Games, you never leave," she says, her eyes boring into Madge, not a hint of humor in her voice. "So, I always have one on me, in case I need to defend myself, or end up in a situation like this. But I guess you wouldn't know about that, being the Mayor's daughter and all." She scowls and stalks off in anger, sitting herself down in the corner to cool off.

I glance at Madge, who looks angry and hurt. "Don't worry, she's always like that," I say, attempting to comfort her. "She's just angry because, being the Mayor's daughter, you've been sheltered and kept safe from most harms, whereas she's been a victim of the Hunger Games. Twice. And trust me; you never get over it once you've been in the arena. All the dead tributes, their faces fill and haunt your dreams. You never forget the horrors of having to kill so many people…" I shudder and try to wipe the horrible memories from my mind. It takes a few moments of deep breaths, but I manage fill my head with only good things. With only Katniss. I miss her so much. For all the restraint it took me, and for how much I love her, I hope she's safe and well. I wish I could see her now…to hold her hand and caress her face. To stroke her long ebony hair and kiss her soft lips. This war keeps tearing us apart, and all I want is to have Katniss by my side.

Then I remember that I was talking to Madge, and must've gotten carried away, lost in my own thoughts. She's looking at me with concern in her eyes, but letting me have my space, and not saying anything.

I blink a few times to clear my head and say, "Sorry, I must've gotten carried away by my own thoughts."

"That's okay…are you alright Peeta?" She examines my face and I try to paste on a convincing smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just got myself thinking about Katniss, and how much I miss her," I say, deciding that telling the truth will help me more than shutting everyone out.

She gives me an understanding look and says, "I know, I miss her too. I can't imagine how hard it must be for you."

"That's alright. I just wish that, someway, somehow, I could be with her right now."

"You'll see her again, of that I'm sure."

I look at her caring, sympathetic face and smile. "Thank you, Madge."

We start getting ready to go to sleep and Johanna returns to our little circle.

"I'll take first watch. I won't be able to sleep tonight anyway. So, don't even try to argue the matter," she says. "Oh, and as for the rat, as much as I know we all want to eat it now, I think we should save it for tomorrow's journey." Without waiting for an answer she plants herself on the dirt, leaning against the dead-end wall in a position where she can see all of us and the exit, so nothing can catch her off guard.

I pat down a spot on the ground and try to calm my thoughts enough to get at least a few hours of sleep. I'm going to need my energy for tomorrow, since all we have to eat is a rat and a sip's worth of water in our canteen.

Images of Katniss twist and swirl under my eyelids, soothing me, and helping me to finally drift off to sleep.

I'm startled awake as someone shakes my shoulder and screams my name. "Peeta! Wake up! We have to get out of here!" Johanna yells. I bolt upright and to my feet, instinctually scanning my surroundings for danger. Madge and Finnick are just awake, and sleepily trying to comprehend the problem, just as I am.

Strangely, the exit to the dead-end tunnel we're in has disappeared, with no trace. We seem to be trapped in a small rectangular opening in the stone, and as I look around, the area seems to be tilting, leaning to the side.

We're all looking around frantically and I notice that the other side of the space is tilting the opposite direction. What is going on?

Suddenly, the entire ground trembles as the center erupts in two. Madge screams. The two sides slant inward and down, so we have to back up to the walls to keep from falling into blackness.

"What do we do?" Johanna shouts in a panicked voice.

"There's nothing we can do to stop it," Finnick yells back.

There's no way out, because the exit inexplicably disappeared, and there's nothing to hold onto to for when the slant of the ground becomes too much for us to withstand. The four of us exchange dismal looks, much as we did when I told them of our situation with the possibility of possessing tracking chips, and, once again, we accept our fate.

The slant gets steeper and steeper until we start to slide towards the center. Madge looks petrified and is scrambling for something, anything, to hold onto.

"Madge! It's no use," I tell her. "Just let go."

She looks at me for a moment like she thinks I've gone insane. But I hold my gaze until she gives a small, sad, nod and lets herself slide across the dirt towards the sinister void.

And then I'm enveloped in darkness.

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**Hope that was good enough for you! It took me a while to decide what to do with the story next, but I finally came up with this. Don't worry though, I'll try not to keep you hanging for too long! :DDD**


	12. Chapter 12

**This chapter wasn't as fast an update as the others, but I'm trying! Plus, midterms are coming up, so I'm not going to have any time for fan fiction for the next two weeks! Anyways, enjoy this chapter while it lasts! It may be the last one for a few weeks.

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**Chapter 12**

**Katniss' POV**

We decide to travel late into the night, (or at least what we think is night), in hopes that covering more ground will help increase our chances of finding Peeta. As much as I know he cares about my safety, I care more about being with him and knowing that he is out of harm's way. I just miss him so much, and can't stand much longer without him. I hope he hasn't done something drastic in an attempt to protect me, because I still am clueless to the severity of the situation he's shielding me from. I would have no way of knowing the amount of trouble he's in, or how to help him. But, I can only blame myself for all of this. How could I have been so stupid as to give in to his plea and run, instead of staying to fight it out with Peeta by my side? Those soulful blue eyes, that showed his every emotion and how scared he was for me. That was what made me go: the infinite love that filled his eyes. After all this time, I just wanted to show him I felt the same. But now, all I can do is send a silent prayer that Peeta stays safe.

We're walking in peaceful silence until a deep rumbling sound abruptly interrupts; the only sound we've heard, other than us, since we've been in these tunnels. We stop in our tracks to listen, waiting for the noise to, again, intrude.

This silence is not like the one we had earlier, it is in no way serene, but anxious and tense. Suddenly, the ground shakes beneath us, throwing us off our feet, and emitting another terrible groan. This time, though, it continues to tremble, sending down debris from the roof of the tunnels.

"What's going on?" The rumbling is so loud I have to yell to get the words across to Gale.

He shakes his head and I can practically see the gears turning inside him as he begins to think, to try to find an explanation for this. The only problem is, we don't have time to think. All we need to know is that we have to get out.

I'm about to tell him, when the ground between us splits in two, separating Gale from me.

"Katniss!" he screams. "Get up against the wall!"

As I follow his directions, I realize that two stone slabs have slid into place on either side of the tunnel, preventing us from escaping and trapping us in a dark cube. My back pressed against the wall, I take minute to observe the growing hole in the dirt. The two sides of the ground are slowly slanting in and down, creating a slope that will eventually get too steep for us to withstand, and we'll fall into the dark trench.

I glance over at Gale and find his eyes fixed on me. He looks sad, regretful, like there's some unfinished matter he wished he had completed, but now will never get the chance to.

He may think we're going to die, but I still have hope. This cannot be the end. My time is not done. And _I_ still have unfinished business to attend to. Peeta.

I been kept away from him for too long, and I am not going to leave him now. Our love is strong enough, we will find each other, and I will not die. Even if I cannot avoid falling into this dark trap, I will endure it and stay alive.

As if the ground can hear my thoughts, I start to slide uncontrollably towards darkness as the slope gets too steep.

I look at Gale's outstretched hand, ready for the moment when we join in our descent to the unknown shadows. I grab it as soon as we meet, clinging to it as we fall. My best friend and my lifeline. But nothing more.

To block out the darkness, I think of Peeta. Of Gale. Of Prim, my mother, and my father. Of love. Only of love.

**Peeta's POV**

I open my eyes and see only darkness; not a scrap of light or the faintest sign of a shape's outline. But I do hear movement off to the side, which means I wasn't separated from Johanna, Finnick and Madge when we fell.

"Finnick," I whisper, afraid to disturb the eerie silence. I hear a moan in response. "Finnick? Is that you?" I ask, slightly louder. Another moan echoes out and I move towards it, blind in the darkness. I try to crawl in the direction it came from, using my hands to feel for any obstacles or people, but have no idea where I'm going because I can't see anything but a never-ending expanse of black. "Finnick!" I exclaim when my hand finds an arm in the dirt.

"Peeta?" he groans.

"Yeah, it's me. Are you alright?" I ask.

"I'm fine, but I fell flat on my back, and it really took the breath out of me."

"As long as it's nothing more than that. Do you know where Johanna and Madge might be?"

"No, I haven't been awake for very long. I lost consciousness from the impact of the fall and only just came around."

"We should try to find them, though I have no idea how big this place is or how far away they could be."

"Okay, just give me a minute to get up." Finnick stands and we start walking around and calling their names.

"Madge! Johanna! Where are you?" We yell, not worrying about upsetting the already obliterated silence.

"Peeta?" someone asks quietly, and my heart freezes in my chest. I quicken my pace in the direction of the voice.

"Katniss?" I ask, almost afraid that it's a trap.

"Peeta!" she yells. I hear her start towards me, and we must've been closer than I thought because we collide in a matter of seconds. We stumble back and then more cautiously find our way into each other's arms.

Even though I can't see her in the dark, I absorb her every aspect. She still smells as sweet as before, like the trees and the sky, even though she's been trapped underground for days. Her hair feels like silk in my hands and her breath is warm on my neck as she leans into me. Her touch is as familiar as it was before we parted while she runs her fingers through my hair, soothing me and sending shivers of pleasure down my back.

I pull away, keeping hold of her hands, and smile. I know she can't see it, and I can't see her, but I'm still so overjoyed to be with Katniss, I feel like I'm walking on air.

"I'm so glad you're safe, I was worried about you," I say.

"_You _were worried about _my _safety? What about you? I know that what you did was to protect me, and _you're_ the one who took the risk by not coming with me," she says, and I can hear the suppressed smile in her voice.

"Katniss, I'm fine. You know that you're far more important than I am. You are what is keeping the rebellion alive. You have to stay safe so that the Capitol can be overrun. You're they're only chance, and if they found out you had died… they'd be devastated. If you left them, if the Mockingjay was killed, they would lose all hope that they could survive, let alone win. They need you, Katniss." I reach up to her face and find a stray tear sliding down her cheek.

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**So, I hope you liked it! Yeah, it was kinda anti-climactic, but I know you wanted Katniss and Peeta to be together again! I always like that better too. So, I hope that was worthwhile and I hope you can stand two weeks with no updating!**


	13. Author's Note

**Author's Note:**

I know it's been a long time since I last posted a chapter, and I'm really sorry**! **But, I can explain. Well, there was midterms week, then I was really busy the next week, then I had a skating competition the next week (yes, for the whole week practically), then I was sick, then I was busy (I'm a very busy person as you can see), then I got sick AGAIN (turns out I was a little early for the big epidemic and by the time I got better someone else got me sick again. yay.), and so on and so forth. Anyway, I apologize greatly for this very long wait, but I've been working on the next chapter lately, so don't think I've given up! I hope I can get it to you soon, but just know that I'm trying!

tHaNkS!

-K_T_M


	14. Chapter 13

**Ahhh, so FINALLY, here is Chapter 13. I know it has been a VERY long time, and I apologize. But, I have had soooo much on my mind and have been writing other, (not Hunger Games related, sorry), stories that have been taking up my time. And, I must admit, I've been pretty forgetful and forgot WAY too many times to count, to finish this chapter and post it. So, for all the effort I put into it, (which wasn't as much as it should've been), I hope you enjoy!**

**So, I present to you... **

**CHAPTER 13.**

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**A short review of Chapter 12:** **Katniss and Gale fall into some hole that opened up in the floor, just like Peeta, Finnick and Johanna did in Chapter 11. It switches to Peeta's POV and he walks around in the dark, after regaining conscoiusness from the fall, looking for someone. Anyone. He finds Katniss by some slim slice of a chance and they reunite, talk, blah blah... Then this last bit happens (the one in italics below here). **

_"Katniss, I'm fine. You know that you're far more important than I am. You are what is keeping the rebellion alive. You have to stay safe so that the Capitol can be overrun. You're they're only chance, and if they found out you had died… they'd be devastated. If you left them, if the Mockingjay was killed, they would lose all hope that they could survive, let alone win. They need you, Katniss." I reach up to her face and find a stray tear sliding down her cheek._

Chapter 13

**Katniss' POV**

Panem needs me, my people need me, and my loved ones need me. They can't possibly survive without me, so if I die, they all go down with me. The reminder that I have so many people's lives riding on my back doesn't comfort me; it pushes me past the point of anxiety and guilt, to anger and sadness.

Anger at myself, for not being able to do my job right, and protect all of these people, and anger at the Capitol, at Snow, for making this my job, for causing all of this to happen in the first place. Sadness because I wish that I was strong enough to overcome President Snow, to overcome the Capitol, and because I wish that I didn't have to do this, that I wasn't the Mockingjay, that my life was simple again, and I didn't have so many people depending on me.

But I know that's only a fantasy, that my life will never be the same again, and I have to deal with it. And I _will _deal with it, I will be strong for my people, I have to be, and I will make it through this.

As all of these emotions well up inside of me, I don't even realize when a stray tear slips free, and slides down my face, landing on Peeta's hand.

"Katniss…" he starts, his voice broken by sadness; he always hates it when I cry, when he knows I'm in pain. I step forward and bury my face in his neck, letting myself dissolve in his arms as I'm enveloped in warmth and love. "It's alright. I know it's hard, but we'll make it through, we'll find a way. We just have to be strong, and at least, now, we have each other."

I gather all of my sadness and anger and shove it to the back of my mind; so far back that I won't come across it again for a long while. Then I pull back from Peeta, stand up tall, and smile at him, knowing he can sense it even if he can't see it. "Thank you," I say quietly.

"Anything for you." I can almost see the shimmer of his smile through the darkness as memories of him drift before my eyes and mingle with the present.

My fingers search the air until they find his. "But we need to find a way out of here. We can't expect to be left alone for much longer."

"I'm surprised Snow has restrained from torturing us for this long."

I flinch at the word, blocking out images of Peeta, his face pale and thin, his body bruised and exhausted, after being tortured by Snow. He may have meant it as a joke, but I feel the full force of the impact, remembering him so close to death and in so much pain.

He notices this and squeezes my hand reassuringly. "It's alright; we'll get out of here. It just takes time." Though to anyone else it would sound like he's comforting me because I'm afraid that we won't escape this place, but I see the meaning behind his words; he knows why I am truly upset.

I dust off my shirt with my free hand, grip Peeta even tighter with the other, clear my throat and say, "I know. We'll be okay. I mean, we've already come this far, we can make it out of this… situation." I struggle with the last word, knowing that this 'situation' is our whole lives, and that we'll never truly escape it. "We just need to keep walking and hope to find a wall, or something."

So, on we go, slowly traveling through darkness, with our hands held in front of us to feel for objects, and our feet sliding across the floor, watching for the bodies, whether dead or alive, of our friends. Eventually, I lose track of how long and far we go, bathing in a comfortable silence, thinking of nothing but how perfectly our joined hands fit together, and that when our sides brush, a surprising current of pleasure darts up and down my spine.

After a while, I start to lose my energy, and ask Peeta if we can stop to rest. He agrees, though somewhat reluctantly, and my body breathes a sigh of relief with the knowledge that it won't have to go on much longer.

Peeta takes my hand, so that he knows where I am and doesn't accidentally sit on me, and we lower ourselves to the ground. I lay on my back to rest, stretching my arms and legs across the dirt, but something stops my left arm from extending as far as it would like to. I bolt upright and move to the left, not letting my hand lose contact with the object, and pulling Peeta to the side with me.

He groans in protest and says with a sigh, "What are you doing?"

"I think I found something. It's not a person, though. A wall maybe, I'm not sure yet. Come and feel it for yourself," I shoot back.

He immediately brightens when I tell him this, and moves over to my side. I guide his hand to the object and we run our fingers across it, examining it closely; silent and focused.

The surface is hard and smooth, but slightly warm to the touch. I slide my hand up about a foot or so and reach the end, and decide that it must be a thin-waisted rectangle judging by the fact that it has four sides, sharp angles and is small around the middle. I slide my hand back down to the bottom to find that it is fitted in a wide circular base of the same substance, and that is bolted to the ground.

"What do you think it is?" asks Peeta.

"I don't know. It feels like metal, but it's warm, which is strange. And it's an odd shape; a rectangular pole attached to a round foundation. I wonder if…" The last sentence is more to myself than Peeta. I grab hold of the pole with both hands and prepare to pull it, riding on the hunch that this, somehow, could be a lever of some kind that opens the door leading out of here. I mentally cross my fingers and, mustering all of the strength I can, lean backwards and wrench it towards me, falling back from the force.

The pole doesn't budge. Not in the slightest.

I sigh and sit up, using the pole to heave myself to my knees. Once I'm sitting up straight though, with my weight on the rod, it jerks down, forced deeper into the base by the pressure I'm putting on it.

"Peeta! Come here. The pole just slid down further into the base, and I think that –" I break off with a shriek, instantly releasing the pole and clutching my hand to my chest.

"What happened?" asks Peeta.

"I don't know. The pole suddenly became scorching hot; it might have even burned me. It must have something to do with the fact that I moved it."

"I wish I could help with the burn, but I can't really see you," he says sadly. "Hey, wait…look at that. The pole is glowing red. It must really be heating up."

I turn back towards the pole to find it's gotten so hot that it's actually shedding some light on this place, and as it gets brighter I start to make out the shape of Peeta's face in the reddish glow. His eyes widen as he sees me and he smiles in the breathtakingly beautiful way that only he can. I take my time just looking at him after being in the dark for so long, and I think he does the same, then I return his smile as he reaches forward to hug me. It's a quick one, with only a short kiss on the end, but it's filled with more meaning than even I would have expected.

I allow myself one last moment to savor that feeling before setting my mind back to making sense of this lever-like device.

"What could this mean?" I wonder aloud.

Beside me, Peeta's face shifts with concentration, as he looks at the different angles of the pole, but before long it lights up with a plan. He tears an already tattered piece of his shirt sleeve off, wraps it around his hand and reaches for the pole.

"No! What are you doing?" I yell, lunging for his hand. Who knows how hot it could be? If it burned me before it even started glowing, it would probably melt a hole right through the center of his hand at this brightness.

Ignoring my protest and dodging my hand, he swiftly slams the pole into the ground as far in as it can go, and yanks his hands away in one fluid movement. I rush to examine his hands, which must be practically nonexistent from making contact with such extreme heat, and find that there's not a scratch or burn in sight. They aren't even warm.

I gape at his perfectly unscathed skin in wonder. Just when I thought I might be figuring things out, this happens.

Then, I hear a soft click, and turn around just in time to see the space before me burst into a cloud of fire and smoke before the blast sends me flying.

* * *

**Phew. Glad that's over. That took too long to write and post, so I hope the next chapter isn't so... I don't know, stressful? Hard to write? Annoying (to me at least)? **

**So, as always, and I probably say this every time, REVIEW! And please, please be honest. I want to know what you _really_ think of it. Was it too depressing? Too boring? Too short? Too unevenful? Anything you can think of, and please be honest. **


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